Tatakainuku
by Notori the Storm Wolf
Summary: The nine bijuu of Japanese myth are living on the mortal plane within the bodies of various denizens of Fuuka. The cursed city has brought them together to fight to the death, compelled by the monstrous need for bloodshed. Their hosts must struggle for control and decide what matters most: their lives, the safety of others, or even their pride. No one is safe.
1. So We Meet Again

**A/N: Despite using the term "jinchuuriki" as well as the bijuu myth, this has nothing to do with Naruto. There are two OCs, but both take secondary roles. "Tatakainuku" literally translates to a verb meaning "to fight to the bitter end" this is an M rated tragedy story, which is best suited for those of us who like to have our feels ripped out. So... Enjoy! :D**

**Brief explanation/Translations:**

Ichibi - One-Tails - _Shukaku_

Nibi - Two-Tails - _Nekomata_

Sanbi - Three-Tails - _Isonade_

Yonbi - Four-Tails - _Sokou_

Gobi - Five-Tails - _Houkou_

Rokubi - Six-Tails - _Raijuu_

Shichibi - Seven-Tails - _Kaku_

Hachibi - Eight-Tails - _Yamata no Orochi_

Kyuubi - Nine-Tails - _Kyuubi no Kitsune (Nine-Tailed Fox)_

* * *

**I - So We Meet Again**

"_You are the power of human sacrifice: the jinchuuriki."_

* * *

"Ouch..." a busty redheaded girl muttered as she hit the floor after tripping over her own foot, "I haven't even gotten to school yet and I'm all klutzy, sheesh."

"Onee-chan! We're going to be late!"

"I know, I know! Hold on a sec, Takumi!"

The younger boy huffed a sigh and leaned in the open doorway. He held a chuckle inside at the sight of his sister trying to gather her books and luggage all in one place as she ran out to the bus stop. Takumi rolled his eyes and closed the door behind the girl before jogging up after her. It was refreshing.

"Ah we made it just in time," Mai said as she hurried to the end of the line that was already starting to board.

Takumi came up next to her and coughed a little when regaining his breath.

"Are you okay? I'm sorry! I shouldn't have made you run! Will you be fine-?"

She was stopped by a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm alright now, remember that. This sickness is over, I'm just a little out of shape from never getting any exercise before," he smiled, "Really, you don't need to worry so much... But, thank you."

Mai nodded and smiled back, shuffling her book bag to the side of her shoulder while getting onto the bus. They had a long day ahead of them. The Tokiha siblings had just transferred from their old school to Fuuka Academy to make use of a scholarship they had both earned. With both their parents deceased, no matter what kind of school it was, having expenses paid was a wonderful opportunity. They asked no questions. Although, from what they heard from other students and the research they _did _bother to do, it seemed like a very prestigious place.

"What do you think it'll be like? Going back to school again?"

* * *

"Mou... Shizuru... stop it..." mumbled a half-sleeping girl as she crawled around her bed, shifting at the nips given along her skin by the other girl, "I wanna sleep in just a little longer..."

"Of course you do, but I can't let that happen," she teased.

"Why not?" Natsuki whined, "Just let me skip one day, please!"

"What kind of kaichou would I be if I gave you special treatment?" she paused, "...Concerning school that is. Outside of those rules I intend to give you an eternity of special treatment."

The girl in her arms blushed and tried to squirm onto her stomach to rest some more.

"W-well, if you're so concerned about the rules how can you be lying here naked?"

The crimson eyed girl smirked and continued to place gentle kisses over her lover's bare shoulder blades; admiring the goose bumps left behind.

"I... bend them," she replied with a grin, continuing to let her hands wander, "I suppose if you want to stay in bed all day though... I'll just have to stay here with you and make use of the time."

Natsuki sighed.

"You're so bad... Fine, I'll get up. You have an important meeting today, right?" she sat up with her sheet and midnight locks draped over her shoulders as she collected the uniform spread over her girlfriend's dorm room.

The elder of the pair inhaled from the sudden lack of warmth, eliciting a near-hiss-like purr. Shizuru rested herself on her arm and watched the silhouette of the lean teenage girl sway with each movement. She licked her lips and chuckled at herself for really considering abandoning her position and jumping onto her heart's desire right there. Alas the student council president was a responsible one. She intended to keep her word and contain her love until the evening when it could explode again. When Natsuki had gone to the washroom to clean up, she stood and stretched before walking toward her closet. Quickly, Shizuru dressed and collected her things for the day before preparing a simple breakfast which she, in time, fed to her younger partner.

"They're new transfer students."

* * *

_Meh... So I'll be late... Whatever..._

A young flame-haired girl thought as she patrolled the streets near her school. It was in this morning rush hour that her prime targets scurried around like nameless ants. Anyone could be picked out of the bunch and go unnoticed: a thief's paradise. However, said thief did have her... _unique_ standards. While she knew some businessmen were more likely to carry more money, her pleasure came from taking from either scum, or attractive males of her own age. Today she settled on the latter.

A black-haired boy got off the subway and was about to turn the corner to climb the stairs when he was pulled aside by the pretty girl with stunning green eyes. He blinked at her when he was pressed to the back of a wall and felt lips against his.

_What the... hell?_

His eyes started to become heavy and close, and then within seconds he was asleep. Nao grinned and felt through his pockets, her expression fading quickly into one of disappointment. She frowned and looked through his schoolbag, but again found nothing but supplies. The girl scoffed and folded her arms over her chest, looking down at him.

"Well, that was pointless..." his clothing caught her attention, "Eh? He goes to the same school? Never seen him before..."

She looked at her watch and cursed under her breath. While being late was a habit, anything more than a few minutes was unacceptable.

_That teacher will have my head..._

Nao looked around and started to sneak away, but turned back to see the boy collapsed in a heap on the ground. She rolled her eyes at the rare presence of her conscience and took some time to lean him against the wall in a sitting position.

What Nao hadn't noticed was that she was followed and being watched. The green-haired boy was a master of subtlety when it came to movement. He could appear and disappear at any moment, often hiding in the presence of others, a natural trait.

Noticing the time, Akira too moved swiftly through the morning crowds towards Fuuka Academy.

"Interesting..."

* * *

"Aww man! I can't believe we're getting lost on the first day too!" Mai groaned, staring intently at her schedule while trying to locate her classes.

Caught in the busy morning flow of students, the girl was accidentally knocked on the shoulder. A boy of similar age and equal surprise shook his head and ruffled his hair clumsily.

"Sorry! I didn't see you!" he stammered, leaning down to pick up a set of books Mai had dropped and catching a peek at the name on her schedule, "Tokiha? You're the new kid?"

The girl dusted her sleeves and looked him in the eye before grinning sheepishly.

"Haha yeah, sorry for just standing there... I'm kinda lost..."

"It's alright, I'll help you out," he paused for a second to look over the room she needed to get to, "Oh, I'm Tate by the way, Tate Yuuichi."

"Thank you Tate-kun," Mai replied with a smile, someone actually took the time out of their day to help her out, "I'm Tokiha Mai, and this is my brother Takumi."

The two males bowed to each other briefly and returned to the task at hand.

"Okay, Takumi needs to go to the top floor of that building there," Tate pointed to the one to the left, "I'm not sure where the room is but the numbers are on the doors so you'll be fine. And Mai, you're in my class so I'll show you the way."

"Thank you, Tate-san," Takumi said respectfully before turning towards the proper building while the elder two went on their way, "I'll meet you for lunch, Onee-chan!"

"Yup!" Mai smiled with glee and turned to her escort, "We've been invited to have a special lunch with the student council, I'm so nervous."

"Hah! Don't be! They're a great gang, I work with them often... The only one you really need to worry about is the executive director, but everyone else seems to be able to keep her on a leash."

The two continued their introductory chit chat all the way to and through their classes. Mai was glad to find someone that could help her out so soon in the day, and only hoped her brother had the same privilege once in his own sector. Still, this school seemed to live up to its reputation – surpassed it even. The girl was surprised to know that most students here were normal teens of the surrounding area, taking it for granted as being 'the school that was around.' In any case, the morning had gone by swiftly and it was time for the lunch.

Mai stood in the foyer of the main building where she met with Takumi and together ascended to the top where the offices were. As if finding her way wasn't bad enough without Tate around, there were so many stairs. The girl heaved and checked to make sure her brother was able to handle the stress on his weak body; he seemed to be taking it even better. Finally they reached the correct floor.

"Okay, how do I look?" the redhead asked, adjusting her skirt and hair.

"Stunning!" chimed an unknown female voice from behind, the Tokihas turned to see a black-haired girl arm linked with a brunette and holding a camera phone in the other hand.

"Finally caught you!"

"...Caught me?" Mai blinked.

"Harada Chie!" she said, pointing to herself and then to the one beside her, "And Senou Aoi, Fuuka Academy's most reliable information sources, and you, my dear, are an incredible find! It's not every day we get transfer students in the middle of the year, much less be lucky enough to share a class with one of them."

"Oh yeah," Mai's memory finally clicked, "You two sit next to me, right?"

The brunette nodded and turned to her companion.

"We should leave them be just for now though, making them late for a meeting with the council isn't a good way to make friends."

"You're right. We'll talk again later!" Chie called, already being dragged away.

"Ask us if you need help with anything!"

Mai simply waved politely and gave a nervous smile, not quite sure what all that was about, but intended to educate herself on the matter during the afternoon. It was back to the trouble on her mind right now. It seemed as though they were standing outside the door for an eternity, not knowing whether to knock and enter, or wait for an invitation; although after a certain amount of time the latter presented itself.

An older boy with unique golden eyes and jet black hair stepped out into the hallway.

"Ah, I thought I heard people out here. You are the new students, correct?" he asked with a bright smile and getting a nod in return, "No need to be shy. I am Kanzaki Reito, vice president, come in."

Inside the room, three other females were waiting patiently with eyes closed in relaxation. However, the second Mai set foot in the room the President jolted her eyes up and froze. The chestnut-haired girl's expression was the most shocking by far. Shizuru had always calculated how to present herself, yet now, all she could do was pour all her energy into quelling a storm inside her. This girl... this new student... was not normal. Crimson eyes watched the redhead's nonchalant laughter as she entered alongside her brother and Reito, taken aback by this behaviour.

The executive director and secretary had also felt a strange air around them, but how could they not? There was instant tension between two absolute strangers. And Haruka in particular – who always prided herself on moments to one up the president – had, in all honesty, thought she was outmatched lose in terms of etiquette... fake or not.

After a deafening silence in the room, Reito decided to take charge and introduce the Tokihas once more. While the frightened expressions of his colleague intrigued him, there was nothing he could do now but cover up her lack of professionalism. As he did, Shizuru relaxed, or at least faked being so, and apologized for her rudeness. Mai just chuckled it off and sat at the place set for her at the lunch table.

It was strange. For a meeting meant to learn about each other it was awfully silent. Mai herself was feeling rather nervous, it seemed that Tate was incorrect in his description of them being goofy and light-hearted. They seemed so serious around her, like they were... not judging, but estimating. The president more so than anyone, now that she realized it, but the others did so in suit possibly out of curiosity to why their leader was acting like this.

"... Excuse me," Shizuru said as she stood up with an expression resembling nausea on her face, "I have another meeting to attend. However, you may stay until you finish your meal. I am sorry for the interruption."

"O-Oh, okay..." Mai said, a little disappointed, "Thank you for having me."

"Welcome to the academy," Shizuru finished, although failing to keep eye contact with the girl while hurrying out of the room.

When all was quiet again Mai slumped back into her chair.

"Well... that didn't go so well... She seems like she hates me."

"My sincerest apologies, Mai-san. She's never acted like that before, and I've been friends with her for a long time."

"All the more reason to think it's me..." she sighed, "I can't believe I messed up with the most important group in the school.

The boy put a comforting hand on her back.

"I'll talk to her, don't worry. I'm sure it was a personal matter that had nothing to do with you."

"Thank you..."

* * *

"You... JERK!" came a voice that echoed over all the other noise of the classroom.

"Wha-?" the boy that was spoken to hadn't the time to react to a notebook being thwacked over his head.

"You told me they were nice!" Mai shouted, ignoring Tate's light whimpering, "In the end they ditched me! The only one who stuck around was Kanzaki-san!"

"What?" Tate looked rather confused, "Kanzaki-senpai is a good guy for sure, but I figured the only one you'd have a problem with is Suzushiro... And I thought her bickering with the Kaichou would lighten that up, they're pretty funny together."

"She was the one who seemed to hate me the most!" Mai barked as she took her seat, uneasily opened up her bag and adopted a more depressed expression now that her anger was let out, "Correction: she seemed to be the only one who hated me. I couldn't really blame the others for looking at me strange after how she acted. They were probably just looking for the same flaws that she saw instantly... This sucks!"

It was only a few minutes until the duo from earlier popped up as if from nowhere.

"What's this? Kaichou hated you?" the darker-haired one chimed in, leaning backwards precariously on her chair in stark contrast to the more reserved brunette at her side.

"That's incredibly strange... she never seems to even remotely dislike anybody," Aoi added, head tilted to the side – emphasizing her confusion.

"Okay guys! Not helping!" Mai threw her hands up in the air, "The more anyone says it all points to something being wrong with me."

"Cheer up! At least _Prince_ Kanzaki liked you," Chie winked, "Lucky one!"

Tate merely scoffed to himself.

"He's not that great," he pouted, looking away for a second before turning back to the gossiping girls, "Not nearly as much of a prince as you fangirls make him out to be."

"Hey, I just pass on the news," Chie shrugged, "As a journalist I have to keep an open mind to both sides."

Those two bickered for few more minutes before Mai interjected with her own distress.

"... Guys... I have a real problem here! I just want to fit in!"

"I got it!" the girl adjusted her glasses slightly.

"Make friends with Kuga Natsuki!"

"Who?"

"Harada, are you just trying to send Tokiha into a death trap? If the Kaichou already dislikes her do you really think being around Kuga is going to help her situation?" the boy was beside himself chuckling.

"Can somebody please tell me who we're talking about!?"

"Okay," Chie took a deep breath.

"Kuga Natsuki is the president's... how shall we put it? 'Favourite student'?" she added air quotes while waggling her eyebrows to complete the suggestive comment, "So, if you can get on her good side maybe she can bridge this weird gap."

"Ah, but then befriending Kuga-san is a most difficult task all on its own..."

Aoi had to, just had to, point out the biggest flaw in Chie's plan; which in turn sent the girl into a fit of fake tears, and Mai to stare blankly... still having no way of solving this dilemma.

* * *

"Room... 109..." Mai muttered her thoughts out loud as she walked down the hall of the first floor of the residence.

There was some empty space at first, and then a small lounge across from the shared bathroom for the floor until the rooms began. Her things had been moved prior to classes; another perk of her scholarship, all that was left of this day was to fall asleep. With a sigh of relief she found it to her right and fumbled around with her keys for no more than a few seconds, eager to rest. Unfortunately, that would be cut short by her being unable to actually _unlock_ the door. With a grimace, Mai cursed in her mind that new locks were always a hassle to deal with and continued to struggle until she heard a knocking.

It was coming from outside, on glass, and after looking down the way she had just come, Mai found a girl standing by the fire exit waving her over.

"Hey, can you let me in?" the person asked, voice muffled by the glass.

She didn't appear dangerous and was clearly a student, probably someone who just lost their keys or something, so the redhead opened the side entrance for her.

"Thanks, see ya," the emerald eyes displayed gratitude for only a second before closing and walking past the surprised newcomer.

She hadn't even completely reached the stairs at the opposite end before she heard some clicking sounds and grumbling coming from behind. The girl turned for a minute and saw that the person who had just helped her was trying to deal with a troublesome door of her own. Mai was still fidgeting around when she heard a groan beside her as a pair of rather strong hands took over her task. With a simple twist of the key and the handle, the door opened slowly.

"Ahhhh thank you!" Mai praised.

"Don't mention it. These locks suck but you get used to them," she was about to turn away when she was distracted by the room number, "You're paired with Minagi? Haha! You better rest now while she's out, you sure as hell aren't gonna get any sleep if she's awake."

"Do you live in the building?" Mai inquired, mainly because this girl seemed to know her way around and to know the tenants, maybe she was a neighbour?

"Not really," the girl shrugged, "But I'm over a lot, visiting a friend. I live off campus."

"Ah well, I guess I'll probably be seeing you around often then? I'm Tokiha Mai by the way."

"Kuga Natsuki," the navy-haired girl replied in monotone, but her face quickly distorted into awkwardness when she saw the look she was being given.

"...What? Oh god, don't tell me you're a fangirl ready to rip my guts out," she sighed.

"Fangirl? Of Kanzaki-san?"

"No, of Shizuru," she rolled her eyes, "But I guess, since his name rolled out of your mouth first, you won't be a problem for me."

Mai blushed a little, she had been there all of eight hours, spent less than one of them with the vice president in question and everyone was implying she had a crush on him. Her face scrunched together when she refocused on her problem.

"No, I mean, I'm new here. And the second I met eyes with the kaichou she practically shot daggers at me and then left! And some classmates of mine said that you might be able to help me..." she looked away, "Although they also said that'd be pretty impossible."

Natsuki raised an eyebrow, not at the latter comment, that was to be expected, but the first one. To Mai's dismay it really did seem that everyone was intent on making it clear it was her fault.

"I'm not in the habit of doing favours for people," the girl returned to her usual cold demeanour, "See what happens. I'll bring it up because I'm concerned for her, if there's anything wrong to make her act like that. And if it helps you then so be it."

Mai looked slightly relieved, truly expecting a worse reaction.

"Thank you, Kuga-san," she continued to smile.

"Just call me Natsuki," the girl had already begun walking away, trying to earn back some of that rebel pride she had just lost by helping this stranger not once but twice.

Mai remained watching the girl's back as she left, chuckling to herself. It seemed that perhaps there was one other person who had a knack for seeing through the biker's façade.

* * *

"Hey, Shizuru? Are you around?" she knocked lightly at the door but since this was practically her room as well, Natsuki didn't wait to enter.

There was a strange amount of silence, although the lights were on, and there was a book bag by the door.

"I'm in here," the other girl finally mumbled.

At first Natsuki had a playful smirk on her face, given that the voice came from the bedroom, but when she entered she saw an unexpected sight. Usually when something like this happened she would find Shizuru in some sort of slinky lingerie stretched out over the mattress in wait for her prey. Today, however, she was lying on her back with her eyes closed with an arm draped over them, and of course, fully clothed.

"Are you okay?" the younger girl hurried to the side of the bed, taking an unusually warm hand in her own, "What's going on?"

"I'm sorry. I should have called to tell you I wasn't feeling well so that you wouldn't come all the way here."

"Don't be, I'm glad I could be here if you need me, are you sick?"

A mirthless hint of laughter was her reply, "... Maybe I am."

Folding her arms behind her head like a pillow and rolling herself onto the bed, Natsuki lay beside Shizuru in silence a bit before attempting to cheer her girlfriend's spirits.

"Funny thing, I just met that new girl today," she didn't notice the hitch in the other's breath, "It seems she can already see through your mask, haha! She's alright though; you should give her a chance."

Of course Natsuki had only been joking, referring to the normal set of fake expressions Shizuru kept for many occasions. And although she was one of the few people who could see through them, she missed the instance of fear the jolted through the girl's body.

"Don't," Shizuru cut in tersely, her jaw clenched tight despite her eyes having widened in a mixture of fear and shock, "Natsuki, stay away from that girl. I..." she couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence in detail, "... Don't like her."


	2. The New Arrival

**II - The New Arrival**

"Are you awake?" an unfamiliar voice asked as Mai stirred in the comfort of her bed.

Her vision was still blurred from sleep, but as she moaned in confusion she could see a figure of a small girl hovering over her.

"Who ar-?"

"Minagi Mikoto!" she answered before the question was even asked, nodded firmly and then dove down into the redhead's chest proceeding to snuggle her to death.

"What the... Hey!" startled by the sudden – and rather intimate – contact, Mai sat up quickly in hope of shaking the creature off, but upon further inspection this girl wasn't going to let go easily.

Not one for violence really, Mai just sat there rubbing her head and getting her bearings straight. She vaguely remembered the name from yesterday, Natsuki had mentioned it.

"So... you're my roommate?"

_Natsuki wasn't kidding then..._

The feline-girl nodded firmly and finally allowed the older a moment to breathe. She released her grip on her waist to rush over to the kitchenette but when she started pulling pots and pans out from everywhere, Mai bolted forward. The older girl quickly snatched away all of the cooking supplies and practically made herself a wall between Mikoto and the counter before she got into the ingredients.

"Why don't I take care of the cooking from now on, okay?" Mai offered a sheepish smile in defence, but it was taken nicely and the girl hopped over to the small table on the floor, apparently waiting for her meal, "So... how long have you been attending the academy?" the redhead tried to spark up conversation with the girl who actually hadn't said many words. She was way more into actions.

"Always. I was here in elementary school too! Fuuka is my home town!"

"Ah, but then why do you stay in the dorms and not at home?" Mai hadn't thought this to be prodding given the casual nature of the question; but apparently it had touched a nerve since the intense energy that radiated from her had suddenly became a polar opposite draining force.

"I was born in Fuuka," she explained, "But... I have no family here."

"Oh... I see," Mai wasn't entirely sure what to do, she had a natural gift for comforting, yes, but not for someone she'd known for all of ten minutes.

All she could do was bring their – much simpler than whatever Mikoto was making – breakfast over to the table and eat with her.

Apparently that was all it took though. Before Mai could even apologize for her earlier comment, the bowl was emptied and a satisfied grin was plastered over the girl's face. The redhead blinked at her roommate's incredible ability to down food like it was air, continuing to eat her portion at a reasonable pace. It certainly was going to be an _interesting_ rest of the year. Nevertheless, the girl made her laugh, that much was certain. Waking up to her had been startling, especially not hearing her come in, but she seemed quite nice.

After a few more preparations, both girls were dressed and ready for their classes. Mikoto happily skipped forward, leading the way to the cluster of academic buildings while Mai trailed behind.

* * *

Morning had passed by nicely and it was another sunny day in Fuuka, shining brightly through the thin walls of the Shinto temple situated in the near mountains. A brunette with short hair knelt at a desk in the far corner, working on some assignment that could be completed out of class. There weren't many, still being high school, but everyone could skip a few days here and there, especially if you were doing schoolwork in the "time off."

Then again, despite it being her original plan, one Higurashi Akane found herself more often than not staring at the class that was going on in the same room – or rather, at the teacher of it. He was her classmate, her childhood friend, her crush... she blushed, realizing she was staring, and turned back to her still-blank page of work.

Akane always felt at home here, it was practically a second home to her anyway. Kazuya had come from a long line of spiritual leaders, and being an only child, was their heir to its legacy and the worship of the thunder god: Raiden. Of course, he would attend classes at Fuuka academy regularly, like any other his age, but on certain days his family would ask him to fill in as the teacher for the archery classes they held.

Again, Akane's eyes wandered up to watch the way he – at the front of the class – pulled the arrow back in one effortless movement before releasing it, hitting the bull's-eye. She had to control the girlish squeal welling up inside, after all, this was a temple: a place of peace and quiet. It would only be a little while longer before he would dismiss the students for the day to go on to private meditation. And the second that moment came the young girl jumped from her seat on the floor to approach her friend.

"Kazu-kun, that was amazing," she beamed, causing him to beam back.

"Aha, it was luck," he replied as modest as he could with those eyes looking at him.

He briefly opened his mouth to say something more, but was cut off by the realization that one of his students – his top student to be precise – was staying behind again.

_I guess it'll have to wait until later..._

With an inward sigh, he turned to face the pale girl.

"Miyu-san, you're already the best, you don't need to stay for extra practice every day..." he would always give the same mini-speech, and always get the same concise response.

"I have to remain the best," for a second she glanced over at Akane before once again taking aim on her target.

Just as effortless as Kazuya had done earlier, her aim was perfect and it looked like it didn't strain her in the slightest. The brunette was a bit put off by the odd girl's stare before, but decided against voicing it. To be honest, it wasn't the first time it happened. A pang of jealousy ran through her core, causing her to _platonically_ jump _her_ Kazu-kun from behind and hug him. Effectively distracting him from his previous conversation, he turned to her with a bright smile.

"Come, let's get lunch Akane-chan."

* * *

Speaking of lunch, a redheaded girl sat on a construction platform in the middle of the city. It was abandoned for the time being, giving her a nice area to eat by herself. With her lime green eyes closed, the girl relied on the noises around her to distract her from her thoughts. She had the chance to skip out on the afternoon classes since she had already left school property but after some time Nao eventually changed her mind.

She groaned and opened her eyes, stretching out her arms as she stood on the shaky platform. Even with it rattling beneath her feet she paid little mind to it, instead stepping right off it with a bored expression: a mistake that would cost her.

"What the-?" a boy from below who had been just passing by looked up to see the girl, apparently attempting to take her own life, and instinctively darted forward as fast as he could, "Hey! Don't jump! Wait!"

But Nao was already too far off to stop herself, and certainly wasn't going to listen to some faded voice in the distance. Who cares about a stranger anyway? Lame.

By the time she reached the ground, in a clean landing on her feet, the shock was absorbed by her knees and the elbow of the one hand planted on the ground. Oddly enough, it was surviving that fall which got her the unwanted attention – more so than if she failed at it. The platform was situated at the third storey level of the building-in-progress, and the slight girl just got up off the ground like the fall was nothing, dusting her palms and readjusting her uniform. Still not noticing that the voice from before had stuck around, staring at her in awe.

"A-are you okay?" the black-haired boy asked from the other side of the chain-link fence surrounding the construction site.

"What?" as usual, Nao looked at him with an annoyed expression, hoping he had just left before and hating having to give some excuse, "I'm used to it. What's it to you?"

"Umm... nothing... I guess..." he seemed quite shy in comparison, looking down embarrassedly before taking another glance at the girl who was now walking forward.

He blinked once; shocked in his own right to be seemingly brought by fate to the very person he had been looking for.

"Y-you are-!"

Nao looked at him curiously, thinking nothing of it for the moment as she once again made an inhuman vault over the fence and landed next to him. And to her displeasure he kept talking.

"You're the girl that kissed me yesterday! At the train station, remember?" he smiled, relieved to come across the mysterious girl.

"Maybe I did, so what?" Nao shrugged, "I don't remember you, so you better work on forgetting me."

She started to walk away, honestly not remembering him and trying to shake him from her. It was no use though, for in a moment of excitement that would have been ill-advised by everyone, the boy reached out and grabbed hold of Nao's arm.

"I'm-" he couldn't finish his introduction before the arm was violently pulled away.

"Don't touch me!" there was a strange essence behind the malice in her voice.

She certainly hadn't intended on it coming out, but she also hadn't anticipated being grabbed like that.

"Sorry..." the boy reverted to being shy, allowing her to take a few steps away from him before calling after her in hope that he would be heard, "I'm Yamazaki Ishiro!"

He couldn't see the face turned away from him, moving further away. All he could see was a hand raised in a dismissive wave.

"Whatever."

Ishiro was tempted to continue following her at first but stopped mid-step. His head sank low as a heavy sigh escaped him. He would wait for now, it could have just been a bad day after all; he didn't know that Nao pretty much always had a bad day. Regardless of his outer timid behaviour, he was a determined one, and he had set his intentions on talking to her again. He knew that he would. A smile formed on his face as the figure completely disappeared into the distance.

* * *

In the meantime, Nao was closing in on Fuuka academy, kicking a rock ahead of her as she walked. She never expected someone to remember her if she robbed them, but then again she didn't usually remember them either. Hands in her pockets, she watched the stone bounce around until a small shoe stepped on it. The girl's green eyes blinked as they looked up, but softened when the other person was clearly in focus.

"Hey, Mikoto," the redhead opened with a rare smile of sincerity.

"I just came out here to make sure you didn't skip again," the black-haired girl said, grinning.

"I'm going _towards_ the school, what do you think?" Nao scoffed, playfully hitting the back of the other girl's head.

The shy chuckle Mikoto emitted went unnoticed by Nao, who was all-too concerned with proudly walking a step ahead, a playful way of established mock-dominance between them. They passed the gates onto the school property, taking their time to get back to class.

"I met my new roommate today!" Mikoto began to jump with excitement around Nao who was walking steadily.

"Really?"

"Yup! Mai is nice!"

Nao, whose thoughts had shifted to something more disconcerting, only replied with a sound of affirmation. The new girl arrived yesterday... she met Ishiro yesterday. She grunted for a second, angrily shaking her head once.

"What is it?" the cat-like-girl asked, head tilted to the side.

"Nothing, just some jerk I ran into twice. No big deal."

"Okay..." her voice was soft and understanding, even if her face showed a little more distress than that.

She wanted to continue bouncing, demanding that Nao come and visit Mai and have the three of them be friends, but Mikoto knew better. It saddened her to know that Nao's anti-social behaviour was so deeply rooted, but on the other hand she felt... _honoured_, to be the one that the girl trusted the most.

A few steps later they made their way into the academic building, Mikoto's expression turning back to one of cheerfulness; and Nao glancing out of the corner of her eye at the way the girl whose smile had always been quite contagious.

* * *

"Ahhhhhh! Finally!" Mai exclaimed as the final bell rang, signalling their freedom for the day. The redhead stretched back over Tate's desk, but suddenly felt her arms pinned down, "What the!"

She leaned her head back to see an upside-down Tate grinning as she wiggled around, trying to get her limbs free from his hand that was holding her in that awkward position.

"Oh, sorry, these are in my space so I decided to keep them," the boy continued to tease, his eyes shut while laughing, shielding him from noticing Mai's counter attack when she finally broke away, "Ouch!" he shouted when a hand smacked him before going folded under her chest.

Mai continued to stand over him proudly, smiling at yet another win in their banter. Only for a few minutes though, since all in all it had been a tiring day from the second she woke up, and she was looking forward to possibly getting some rest before Mikoto came back from classes. It wasn't very likely, but she may have had some extracurricular activities or something, and if not then this would be a good time to ask. Waving goodbye to her friends, the redhead left the classroom and started to head down the stairs to the main foyer of the building, coming across an unexpected surprise.

"Takumi!" Mai called to her brother, who was walking with another boy his age with dark hair.

"Onee-chan!" he turned around and waved back, stopping long enough for his sister to catch up and walk with them before introducing his roommate, "This is Akira-kun, he and I are roomed together."

"Hello!" Mai said with an open-hearted smile.

The other boy seemed quiet, but certainly not impolite, giving her a bow in response with a more formal greeting. The three then continued to walk together towards the dormitories, idle chatter between them, mostly Takumi and Mai, before the latter turned down her path to the girls' section. There were a few parting words and the boys turned down to their own section.

"Your sister seems very nice," Akira stated plainly.

"Mm, I'm glad you think so," Takumi smiled, "She and I are very close so... I'm happy that you will get along together too."

The quieter boy merely nodded in response, having already known from the way his roommate spoke of his sister how close they were. It was admirable, and on some level made him just a little bit envious.

_A tightly knit family like them... What it must be like..._ _Even if now it's just the two of them, it's interesting._

"What would you like for dinner Akira-kun?" the brown-haired boy's words shook the other out of his daze, smiling brightly as he spoke, "I'm not as good as Onee-chan when it comes to cooking but I do enjoy it!"

"... You're strange..."

* * *

Meanwhile, on the other side of town there was a less chipper mood in the air. An older man, just slightly over middle aged, towered over his stepchildren. Both of whom had just been frightened out from under a lace sheet, hastily getting redressed.

"No matter how much you want, Muramasa! You can't separate us!" a loud blonde shouted forcefully.

"Tch... I raised you two as sisters. How could you shame me like this!" the man bellowed, glaring into malicious violet eyes.

"To see you two..." his face distorted with disgust for a moment and quickly returned to anger, "I, at least, expected better from you, Yukino! Haruka has always been reckless, but you… I had hoped would be more sensible."

The mousy brunette hid behind the blonde who was still standing firmly between her and their 'stepfather'.

"We _aren't_ sisters, Muramasa!" Haruka continued, "As far as I'm concerned you aren't a father to either of us! So what little family tie you think we have, it's all in your head!"

It was true. Sengo Muramasa had only been a meagre adoptive guardian for the two girls, and the three had no blood relation to each other. Nevertheless, they were together since the age of five. Sisters, they could have been perhaps, but the bond they shared transcended genealogy in their eyes. More than two of a kind, they were halves which complemented each other.

"Enough!" he yelled, swiping a backhand across the blonde's face to silence her. It worked for the time being, but her gaze never wavered, enticing the man to do what he had always wanted to, "Get out!"

Yukino blinked in fear.

"I want the both of you out of my house! If I'm not a father to you, then I have no reason to keep taking care of you! I put a roof over your head and tried to give you a normal life!" he cursed under his breath, "But I guess you're intent on humiliating me further."

"We can take care of ourselves! Better then you can, anyway," Haruka barked back, "Why did you even bother if you didn't give a damn about us? Just so that you could brag to your friends about your _pets_? You used us as slaves!"

"You... belonged to me!" Muramasa cried back gripping Haruka by the collar, his rage subsiding into shock when he looked over her shoulder.

The stepchild that had, until then, been silent stood up as if raised by some outside force.

"Let go," Yukino commanded, the death in her tone capable of frightening even this abusive man, whose eyes flickered over to Haruka's smirk before doing as he was told.

"I still want you out!" he ordered, turning his back to them and stepping out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

The force that was keeping Yukino on her feet vanished from her, but she stood on her own now, walking up behind Haruka who was still stiffened by anger. Her thin arms took the blonde in from behind and a hand gently reached up to where she had been hit. A line of blood was trickling down from Haruka's lip, and with loving eyes – however solemn they were for having witnessed the event – the smaller of the two leaned up. Her tongue slid over the wound, licking away the blood spilled by their guardian's hand, which had effectively brought more warmth to Haruka, calming her.

"Thank you for protecting me Haruka-chan," she whispered, resting her head down on the blonde's shoulder, "I am so weak without you..."

"And I..." she never was one for expressing her more delicate feelings, but mumbled them out anyway, "Am useless without you..."

* * *

"This is so niiiiiiiiiicceee!" a woman, who according to everyone else on the ferry was insane, shouted at the top of her lungs; her long red hair which was tied back only once flew in the wind.

"Midori! Get down from there!" a woman of similar age with short dyed-purple hair scolded.

She was the only passenger to not fear standing so close to the psycho balancing herself on the railing meant to prevent people from falling overboard.

"Oh come on, Youko! You know I won't fall!" she continued to take small hops on the metal, balancing perfectly on her own until she was forcefully pulled down by her companion, "You're no fun..."

Pushing her pouting aside, Midori leaned her arms on the railing, still enjoying the breeze as they neared the port city. The sun was setting over Fuuka, allowing for a nice glow on the beach.

"Midori, I know why you wanted to come here, but try to be careful. Your plan might very well work, but if it doesn't you will end up in big trouble. Besides, do you even know where to look?"

The other woman nodded.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. You said this was the city, right? The artefacts we found proved it," she waved her hand dismissively, "And you and your science magic that I don't understand proved it too so don't say I'm wrong," she looked towards the city, smiling, "They're here."

* * *

A sigh rumbled out of the tired president's lungs as she continued with her paperwork. Ever since yesterday she had poured herself into her work as much as possible to keep distracted, for Natsuki's sake if anything. She didn't want to let her see her so dishevelled like she had the night before. And if the latter insisted on taking care of her she would make sure it was required as little as possible.

That being said, the navy-haired girl sat at one of the surrounding tables in the student council room, working on some homework. She didn't enjoy doing so, but being the president's girlfriend had gotten her more motivated to – perhaps childishly – try to impress her. And this way she had a reason to keep an eye out for any signs of weakness from whatever 'illness' Shizuru had. It was a win-win.

"It's gotten dark out..." Natsuki observed aloud.

"Ara, I thought Natsuki liked the dark side," the chestnut-haired beauty teased, trying her hardest to return to her normal ways, "I won't be much longer, the new teacher I am supposed to meet should be arriving soon. Really Natsuki, you didn't have to stay..."

"Of course I did," the girl in question got up from her work and sauntered over the bigger desk. Sliding onto it with a natural grace, she turned to rest the back of her hand on Shizuru's forehead, "You're still a bit hot..."

"Ah-" that familiar grin had already appeared.

"Don't!" Natsuki shouted before she could be victim to yet another perverted jab, crossing her arms and turning away, though remaining seated on the desk.

They were quiet only a little longer before the door slid open, surprising them both.

"Hello there!" the boisterous woman greeted with a grin, stepping into the room, "Midori-sensei-chan is here!"

The two girls blinked at first, but Shizuru quickly composed herself to greet her properly and Natsuki soon followed. The meeting was intended to be short. With Fuuka academy's unique power structure, the teachers had to sign a contract with the students in order to work there. Their promise was to be there for them, not form an elite group of administration and thus far it had kept peace between them.

"So, I see here that your fields of study are classics, history, and art history, correct?"

Midori nodded and leaned over on the desk to sign the final note, grinning childishly, "But just between us, my speciality is demonology."

The room fell silent, Shizuru's mask of calm never faded, but her tense eyes shot up to Natsuki who was less subtle about her interest in what the teacher had to say. Her fist clenched.

_Careful Natsuki..._

"By demonology you mean...?" emerald eyes looked into those of the older woman, a cross between incredible curiosity and desperation.

"I mean the study of demons!" Midori noticed the way she was being looked at, "I take it you like the subject too? Anything of particular interest you'd like to know?"

Natsuki was silent, looking at the ground seriously, carefully considering what to say. Where would she start with her _interest_? In the meantime, Shizuru could only stand on the sidelines between a rock and hard place. There was no reason to strike.

"I guess... Do you know anything about Japanese demons?" the youngest of the three questioned, "Do you know the legend with..."

_Don't Natsuki!_

"The story of the nine bijuu?" Natsuki continued, unable to hear Shizuru's pleading thoughts, "I guess I could ask later because I'd like to know as much as possible..."

At this Midori was practically giddy, she'd struck gold; no, better than gold, whatever this felt like it was definitely better than finding gold. She nodded firmly in response, grinning before being cut off by the president.

"It will have to wait, unfortunately," Shizuru said, standing up, "My work for today is done and I would like to begin my own studies as soon as possible."

"Alright then, shall Natsuki-chan and I take a walk on our own then? I have a lot to say about that legend in particular."

_There's no reason to strike! _She told herself. Despite just having voiced her desire to leave Shizuru was set on not letting Natsuki being alone. Not after what happened yesterday.

"Wait a minute, Shizuru, I still want to go home with you and make sure you're okay, but..." Natsuki faced Midori again, "What can you tell me about Houkou?"

"The five-tailed dog! Ah, I should have guessed as much!" the woman's words were getting ahead of her, her grin becoming more and more apparent, "You look like a dog person to me."

Natsuki turned stiff, guilty of indeed being a 'dog person'. And the "ohh?" look she got in response was enough to complete their exchange of secrets. Now there was reason. Shizuru held her ground, but gave Midori a paralyzing glare.

"Natsuki... Wait for me outside the dorm. I'll be home soon," she didn't blink once.

"Umm... Okay," needless to say the girl was confused, and still wanted to know what the woman had to say in regards to the legend of the bijuu.

On the other hand, Shizuru was behaving in a manner that could very well be deemed frightening if Natsuki had known better; instead she settled on obeying the simple request and left the room to the other two.

"How interesting..." Midori mused as she turned to watch Natsuki's silhouette move from the translucent window of the room, unfortunately leaving her back to her aggressor.

With a loud thud she was thrust against the wall with incredible force. Shizuru pinned her there with her forearm pressed against the woman's neck.

"Who are you?" she hissed, although the redhead's lack of wincing made it clear that, whoever she was, she was capable of withstanding a hit like this.

"I could ask the same of you," she continued to grin, something that had grown on the younger girl's last nerves. Turning her head, the green eyes were met with crimson ones, shining crimson; eyes that glowed beyond any human capacity.

"Answer me!" she growled, "Let me guess, the weasel? No... The unsightly Yonbi, perhaps?"

"Nope! Wrong again!" Midori wouldn't budge with that smile, "Snakes really do like to toy with their prey, huh? Fortunately, I like being played with," she followed with a wink, which for her shoved harder against the wall, bits of dust falling over them.

"Shukaku..." Shizuru grimaced.

"Bingo!"

She took the moment of Shizuru's thinking to pull herself free, at least enough to create a small distance. If she wanted to, the president could close it easily, but for now she chose to stay put.

"Stay away from Natsuki!" she hissed again.

"How long have you known…" Midori chose to ignore the order, "That that girl is the Gobi?"

The girl stood there in silence, her serious eyes never shifting focus even as the memory floated back to her like it was yesterday.

"Long enough," Shizuru replied, wanting to keep this as vague as possible, "And I respect her decision not to tell me," she looked away for a second, "After all, I haven't told her."

"I can see why," she rubbed the back of her neck where she had been hit earlier, "Do you know any of the others?"

"One other, but until you explain yourself I'm not even going to consider telling you anything more. Which brings forth a more important question: Why are you here? Why Fuuka?"

"Like you read in my resume, I study art and culture," she shrugged, "I simply found out through my studies that this is where, when the time came, all nine of us were likely to return."

"When the time came?"

"Ah, this is a special generation!" Midori raised her pointer finger as she began to explain, "We differ in age, but it's still the first time in centuries all nine have been alive at the same time!"

"So you're just along for the ride? Ready to watch the downfall?"

"No no, you've got me wrong," she lifted her hands defensively, "I don't want to see the bijuu fight as much as _you_ do, which is why I've come here."

"You... you know a way to end it?" Shizuru was intrigued at the possibility at least, choosing to ignore the minor jab at her bijuu's desire to annihilate the others.

"Think about it. We are not our demons. What if we let them fight it out? So there'll be one winner, it doesn't matter who it is, because if there's only one left the desire to fight will be gone. It will have won."

"So, kill the demon and the human will be freed?" Shizuru scoffed, "That's the theory you've risked yourself to bring to me! It's not some game to win or lose! It's a damn war!" she launched herself forward again, this time pinning Midori to the wall by the front of her neck, "Who told you such nonsense!"

"He did of course! Shukaku and I get along."

"And do you know who it is you're speaking to? You hold The Trickster inside of you! It's all a lie! If the bijuu dies then so will the host!"

Midori's expression became one of annoyance; she was naturally too humble of a person to deal with such arrogance from some kid. However, Shizuru was growing tired with having to deal with the one who threatened to wreck the peace she had worked to keep.

"Then you should be aware that of all the jinchuuriki, I am the strongest. Even if you are an older human, I have spent my entire life being trained by Yamata no Orochi himself to hold this immense strength. It would do him no good to have my body break down."

"Heheheh, so confident..." that mocking laughter again, "Until recently I hear?"

Shizuru's features froze with fear, but the heat inside her melted her emotion into anger. She pressed more, now truly attempting to strangle the woman, "I am the strongest," she growled.

"You-" Midori coughed, "You know as well as I do... We're all here now. They all want to fight. The more we hold them back, the harder it'll be."

"I don't care if you believe what Shukaku told you. Kyuubi sleeps for the time being and if that changes all hope will be lost. And moreover..." fangs grew, glistening as her forked tongue flicked over them, "If you ever come in contact with Natsuki again, I will kill you!"

Midori was about to push forward, taking that as a challenge, but she had forgotten that they were not the only ones present. While the older woman wanted to fight with this teenager, Shukaku had no intention of getting himself killed like this by a much stronger demon; that was not the plan. So, with a swift snap of her head, Midori's eyes turned pure white and her skin began to disintegrate into sand.

"See ya, Yamata no Orochi," and the trickster vanished, turning into a pile of sand that was carried away by a gust of wind and out the window.

All that was left was Shizuru, standing alone in the student council room with her arm resting against the wall where Midori had been. With a deep breath she pushed off, standing on her own and closing her eyes. She had gotten too aggressive, but with fair reason. Her features returned to their normal state gradually, as always leaving her feeling tired with the amount of energy lost. She turned and looked out the open window, sadness now apparent in her once vicious eyes.

_If only you were right..._


	3. Sandman

**III - Sandman**

"Damn it! Where is she?!" Haruka barked as she paced around the student council room, arms folded across her chest like she was some sort of military general with misbehaving troops.

Out of Yukino, Reito, and herself, she was by far the most vocal about her annoyance with the president's lack of presence; but the other two did share the same concerns. They were both quietly reflecting on the past two days and the surge of unusual conduct displayed by Shizuru, hoping to give her the benefit of the doubt if she would simply come forward with what's been going on. However, that couldn't happen until she actually showed up.

"Seriously, I could live with her showing something other than that smug smile of hers, even if it's in front of new students... who really did nothing wrong..." the blonde trailed off, still finding _that_ weird, "but I draw the line at vandalism!"

Again, the silent pair sighed at the way Haruka was gesturing towards the cracks in the wall she had been pacing in front of. It wasn't really too badly damaged, but couldn't be left alone either and would require payment out of the council's budget for repairs.

"There's no proof that it was Fujino-san who did it," Yukino kindly offered, "In fact, I'd be surprised if it wasn't just some kids who snuck in and got into a fight... Why choose this room, I don't know, but it is still the far more likely scenario."

"I agree," Reito added, his classic must-not-get-ahead-of-ourselves shrug following his words, "She hasn't been as calm recently, but to engage in random violence? It just isn't her."

"Hey, I don't want to think it's her either, but she's the only one who was in here after hours yesterday. And you have to admit the change in her personality is leaning to being more aggressive than usual," Haruka groaned, "Maybe she finally snapped after years of acting so reserved."

"Haruka," Reito shot her a warning look, "even if that should be the case, it's important that we act as support for her and not make light of this."

The blonde was about to retort with a sarcastic comment about the friendship between the president and vice president when the door slid open, revealing the girl in question. Although she was late, Shizuru showed no signs of being ill or anything out of the ordinary. She was quiet as she stepped inside, turning to close the door behind her and set her laptop down on the desk.

"Speak of the devil," Haruka chided.

"Ara? What a mean greeting," she feigned hurt, sitting down and opening the device to begin getting to work.

She paid no mind to her surroundings until a forceful smack sounded right in front of her. Blinking in surprise, scarlet irises looked up to meet Haruka's gaze, although her eyes were shut tightly in frustration.

"Are you just going to pretend nothing's wrong here?"

_You've got to be kidding me... hearing something like that so early in the day..._

The chestnut-haired girl let out a soft groan and collected herself.

"What are you referring to?"

"We were just wondering if you're okay," Reito interjected before the executive director could antagonize her, taking a gentler approach.

_You want to know if I'm okay? Well how about this: I've got a demon inside me, how do you think I am?_

Even her thoughts were becoming angrier. Nevertheless, she kept her exterior intact, looking up at the trio with a nearly-familiar face.

"I have been ill over the past few days, that is all," she lied, "I appreciate your concerns."

"Then how do you explain this!" Haruka still vented her frustrations while pointing to the damage in the wall, luckily too busy with that to see the split second of a gasp from the president.

"Ara? How did that get there?"

"That's what I want to know! You were the only one in the room last night."

"I was not," she countered for a second, briefly thinking that this would be a decent moment to get Shukaku's puppet out of here.

If there was a legitimate reason to get Midori fired, she would have to leave Fuuka academy and its students, insuring that at least Natsuki would be avoided. She couldn't speak for the others, but it was better than nothing. Although just as Shizuru was about to go through with blaming the new teacher with the damage, she recalled the way the woman had spoken about their condition, their curse.

_She treats it like a fun game no doubt, given the Ichibi's personality... She would have no qualms about parading it around in front of the whole school, ruining the peace for us all. The problem is getting everyone caught and having fights break out... not just for us but for civilians too. _She scoffed. _Really, what kind of jinchuuriki is she? Our purpose is to keep the bijuu from getting out and waging war against each other, yet that's exactly what she's starting._

Her expression became sullen again, recalling why it was Midori felt it was best to have the demons fight. That theory... to think there was a way for them to be free; it was so tempting to believe it as fact. However, Shizuru's subconscious mind warned her to not get her hopes up. It was a dream, nothing more. There was no way to stop this and that's how it's always been.

"Oi!" Haruka continued to flail her arms, "now you're spacing out! Who else was in here?"

"Hm?" The girl returned from her thoughts with a slightly dizzy look in her eyes, "Oh, no, forgive me, I was mistaken. I was the only one here, but perhaps I forgot to lock the door and some vandals came in. Take the money to repair it from my part of the budget. Now, if we can let this rest, we have current matters to attend to, namely the upcoming festival."

While the blonde was hesitant to let this go, she was outnumbered three-to-one in the vote to simply get the ball rolling on the more important project. She had no choice but to take her place next to Yukino and listen to them discuss the plans.

* * *

"Alright class, this concludes today's science lesson," an older woman at the front said as she put a textbook into her bag; meanwhile, the students all started to talk for their ten minute break, "Oh, and I was told to inform you that your new history teacher has been hired."

They turned their attention to the head of the class, curious as to what this would mean for them. It wasn't too important, and some were happy to have the endless string of substitutes finally stop so they could actually get their work done. Still, a new teacher could mean anything.

"It better not be that geezer who taught us in middle school," Tate groaned, leaning back on the legs of his chair, "he was so annoying."

"From what I heard it's a woman, but I don't know much more than that," Chie confirmed, her ears were always fine tuned to eavesdropping on other conversations.

"How long has it been since your last teacher left?" Mai asked, having arrived only recently she didn't even know that it was an issue for them having so many substitutes.

"Hmm, I guess about four months," the boy behind her noted, "Our subs have been pretty regular though."

"I, for one, am glad," Aoi said with a relieved sigh, "I want to be ready for the final exam and it's so hard to concentrate when half the students want to take advantage of the fact that the substitute doesn't know where we are in the textbook."

"Four months," Mai chuckled nervously, inwardly agreeing with Aoi on how that would be difficult, "that's a long time."

Those four had been so busy talking that they failed to notice the switch of their professors until the bell rang and they automatically faced forward. The class was silenced by the surprising youthfulness of the woman at the front who was writing her name on the board with chalk. She was dressed more casually than they expected, giving her the appearance of someone more their age that they could actually speak clearly with. It was really refreshing.

"Hi everyone!" Even her voice was girlish too, "I, Midori-chan, will be your new history teacher! Let's get started, shall we?"

It was easily the best class ever. The students had been used to the material being dull, taught by someone dull, and for no reason other than to barely pass and graduate. Now they would actually pay attention, laughing at the way the woman would describe different important events, even going so far as to do impressions of long dead historical figures from ancient times.

The period was about halfway done when they moved onto looking at slides of different historical sites and artefacts. Most of it was basic stuff, but the energetic teacher had not forgotten that she came here for a reason. Amongst the photos of foreign places, she had included those from the very city they were in right now.

"Does anyone know where this is?" Midori asked, turning to the class to see if anyone cared to guess, "Yes?" she looked at a boy in front.

"Is it... Fuuka?"

"Very good!" she smiled, "How could you tell?"

"The mountain there," he pointed, "and the coastline, just reminded me of it, I wasn't sure."

"Well, you were right," continuing to grin, she expanded on her lecture, deliberately changing her voice to that of a more traditional storyteller, "Did you know that it's said Fuuka is..." she looked at the class, the light from the projector hitting her face in a haunting manner, "... a cursed city?"

Some of the more squeamish girls yelped in their seat, while others were interested; the rest just laughed at the way she was talking.

"Haha, do go on, sensei!" Mai said, quite taken with the woman's methods.

"Well, if you look at these slides here," she clicked the projector, "you can see the various shrines and landmarks dedicated to heroes. What these men have in common is that long ago there was a war between nine demons, the bijuu. Each one had a different number of tails corresponding to their power and how long they lived. Five of them represented the elements, the other four had more abstract abilities: death, poison, illusion and..." she waited for the suspense to rise, "evil!"

Again she received similar reactions, taking a moment to step back from the projector and laughing at herself, easing up the students again.

"Of course that's just a legend that's been around for centuries. A lot of people don't believe the bijuu even existed as demons, but that they were flaws people had that these priests helped fix. The shrines are dedicated to those who sealed the bijuu, but," she grinned, "They never actually _sealed_ anything. And you know what that means..."

"Oh no! Midori-chan's got something again!" Tate laughed, eliciting a few from the surrounding students, passing over the sound of the lunch bell.

Oddly enough, the students didn't jump to run and eat, and instead waited for the end of the story: "It means that maybe the bijuu are still alive!"

The class erupted with applause and smiles, congratulating the woman on her story for keeping them on the edge of their seats. It may have been short, but certainly entertaining for the end of what they anticipated being a boring first half of the day. With smiles on their faces, the students parted ways and went on their way to enjoy the mid-day break. Midori on the other hand stayed back for just a minute until they all left, now leaning on the chalkboard, hands buried in her pockets, all in all looking rather satisfied.

_Oh, Orochi... you should know better than to tease me._

* * *

As the four high school students were exiting the classroom to head down to the dining hall, a familiar figure approached from the opposite end of the hallway. Clad in his sleek black uniform, the vice president of the student council smiled, as he usually did, and waved them over.

"Hello, Mai-san," he greeted first before delivering small bows to the others as well.

"Hello, Kanzaki-senpai," the redhead replied, holding her books neatly in front of her.

"Ah please, you may address me as Reito," the boy said casually, pretending to not notice the blush he had gotten in return, as well as the chattering from the gossip queen and her fairy princess.

His eyes lingered on Mai for no longer than a few seconds more before he looked at the other male present.

"I'm sorry, but I must borrow Tate-kun's time."

"Eh? Now?" he pointed to himself in confusion, "Alright then."

"It won't take too long... I just have an _errand_ for you."

"Oh, okay," he turned to the girls, "I'll be down in a bit."

"Sure thing... errand boy!" the trio had scampered off before he could retort.

"Gah!" he sighed, turning to his superior, "So, what do you need from me?"

Reito silently thought of how to put his request into words, and then discreetly pulled Tate aside as to not be within an earshot of the passing students.

"How well do you know Mai-san?"

"Uhh, we're friends, why?" a flicker of annoyance ran through him, "You're not asking me to ask her out for you or anything are you?"

"Haha no, of course not. I wouldn't request that of you," the black-haired boy raised his hands defensively for a moment before getting back to business, "I need you to gather some information for me. There may not be a definite reason, but if you could find anything that Shizuru-san would have been irked by, I would appreciate knowing."

"...So, you want me to spy on her?" Tate was clearly bothered by the task, "I'm not too comfortable with that, you know. Like I said, she's my friend and so are you. I have nothing against the kaichou, but to go out of my way to find bad things in her... I don't think I could."

"I'm not asking you to invade her privacy," Reito corrected, "Only that since you spend more time with her on a daily basis, and of her friends I trust you the most. I simply ask that you tell me if you notice any odd behaviour on her part."

The younger boy took a moment, shifting his weight back onto one leg and closing his eyes. He nodded then, and looked up.

"Fine, since you asked, but I don't know how much I'll find out," he bowed briefly and then made his way to the staircase to catch up with his classmates.

* * *

"Ah, I haven't had that much fun at school in a long time," Mai laughed as she recounted the story of her class, not only to her friends that had been present, but to their younger schoolmates.

Sitting around the large round lunch table were Mai, Mikoto and Chie, followed by Aoi who was playfully snuggling with an uneasy Takumi next to her, and next to him was Akira trying to keep his giggling to a minimum at the sight. It was a warm feeling, felt particularly by the Tokiha siblings, to once again have a meal with more than just each other. Their new friends had been so inviting it was hard not to easily jump into calling it a new family.

"I hope she tells us stories like that every class," Aoi added to her busty friend's comment, "Legends of heroes and demons! So cool!"

Mikoto, who had been caught up in eating her delicious bento, barely heard what they others had all been talking about until then. She continued grinning childishly, but now took to latching herself onto Mai's waist. Not really minding, the latter just smiled sheepishly and pet the head of her energetic roommate. It was her brother's roommate that spoke first.

"Sounds like an interesting class," Akira mentioned, while still eating quite gracefully for a boy of his age.

"I didn't know you liked that kind of thing, Akira-kun," Takumi said, finally wriggling free of Aoi and able to get to his own meal.

"I grew up in a family that practically lived by the ancient tales, I know so many by now," the boy replied before looking over to his friend's sister, "Which in particular was it?"

Mai, still being nearly smothered with cuddling from the younger girl, looked up in thought for a second before turning back to Akira.

"_The Legend of the Nine Bijuu_, is what she called it," Mai nodded in affirmation before heading off on another tangent, "Haha, and according to Midori-chan," she tried to make her voice spooky, "they're all still alive!"

...But it fell into an awkward silence. Chie and Aoi offered weak smiles to the redhead, her brother was just confused as to why she was retelling the story in such a dramatic way, Mikoto had _miraculously _turned quiet and looked up at Mai while cocking her head to the side, and Akira raised an eyebrow.

"I see..." the swallow the boy made went unnoticed, and he quickly transformed his expression into one of thought, "I'm fairly familiar with that one."

"Really? Cool. Hardly anyone in our class knew about it."

"Mm," it seemed Akira had reverted to his usual quiet self.

"Oi, you still going on about class, Tokiha?" came Tate's voice as he approached from behind, taking one of the empty seats at the table to relax in.

"Are you still being Reito-san's errand boy?" she retorted, sticking her tongue out and eliciting chuckles from the others as they went back to their meal.

* * *

"You. Are. An. Idiot!" the violet-haired scientist exclaimed, hitting her brazen partner upside the head as hard as she could after hearing about her 'tussle' with the Hachibi's host.

"Uwah!" Midori yelped as she fell off the desk, rubbing her head and sighing, "Ow..."

"Oh please, don't humour me. I know that couldn't hurt you," Youko huffed as she slumped back into her chair and folded her arms across her chest.

Within seconds the redhead had hopped back up, although this time landing playfully on the other woman's lap; wrapping her arms around her neck and pulling them together in an exaggerated snuggle.

"Aww, but I like humouring you!" she then started to fake some tears, "Even if you hit me and call me names! Wah! Youko-chan is so abusive to me!"

The less-than-thrilled woman in question merely groaned, making no attempt at shoving the other away. The hyperactive movements had stopped at least, but they still remained seated together even as the blue eyes looked into the green ones with worry.

"I'm serious, Midori. What you did was so reckless I don't even know what to say... The fact that you weren't slaughtered on the spot is a testament to that girl's strength, not a reason to taunt her further!"

"I know, I know," she sighed, "I just can't help it sometimes."

Her face was suddenly grasped on both sides by Youko's trembling hands, their eyes locking as she made sure to get this across.

"You can't go near her again. Do you understand me? Say you understand me!"

The usual flicker in Midori's eyes wavered for a second or two, during which she nodded firmly and leaned to press her forehead against the doctor's.

"I understand."

"Good, because I have something for you," Youko leaned over the body on top of hers to reach the keys of her laptop, typing in some passwords and accessing some files.

"A present! How sweet!" Midori grinned as she turned to face the screen.

"Mm, there is a temple built in honour of Raiden that is just outside the city limits. No doubt that's a place to start searching."

"Then I'll go tonight!" she exclaimed, jumping off the woman and stretching her limbs, "Getting the chance to play with Raiden's pet will be a fun opportunity."

"I'm going with you," Youko added, standing and straightening her lab coat, "After what just happened, I don't care which of them you're going to find. You need someone with you."

"Aww, and you'll always be there for me?" Midori grinned again.

"Yes," was the firm response, which brought about a tender moment of silence.

"Mm, then we should go get something to drink first!"

The redhead then, rather triumphantly, started to march towards the door, but came to a quick stop when she reached for the handle, more serious smile appearing.

"...Thank you, Youko."

* * *

Unfortunately, the rest of the afternoon's classes had not been as thrilling as the history lecture the students had received earlier, but luckily the work week was finally over. All of them had gone their separate ways, either to club activities with the school or back to their dorms. Tate on the other hand, had his own kendo practice to attend to. He had long since quit the school's kendo club after an injury to his knee, leading to his defeat by his rival and now-captain: Masashi Takeda. However, he could never give up the sport and took to out-of-school lessons in order to make a grand comeback when the time came. Fortunately, those lessons took place at the home of a current friend, one Karauchi Kazuya.

"Is something the matter?" the monk-in-training asked as they held onto the railing inside of the bus.

"Eh? No, nothing... just a long day," is what Tate started off with, but quickly led into the real reason, "Kanzaki asked me to do something for him and I don't really feel like it."

"Well, he's your friend right? I'm sure at some point he'll return the favour."

"Mm, yeah I guess... Bah! I'll figure it out later," he looked to his side, "but what's up with you?"

"Nothing too special. As usual, Akane-chan will be spending the weekend with me."

"Pfft, you are so lucky your parents let you do that," Tate chided.

"Hah, do what? Akane-chan and I have been friends forever, and aren't presently dating... besides! I'm going to be a full-fledged cleric soon. Nothing would ever happen between us."

And the only reply Kazuya received to protesting so much was the rolling of Tate's eyes.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the dorms, Mikoto was sitting rather calmly on her bed with Nao on the floor behind the table. Mai had opted for dragging Chie and Aoi to check out nearly all of the extracurricular activity displays instead of relaxing for the weekend. It was getting late though, she would be returning anytime.

"What are you thinking?" the braided girl asked, never taking her solemn eyes off the redhead.

"If there's anything to do... or that can be done. Are you sure about what you heard?" lime eyes looked up to meet golden ones as Mikoto nodded.

"Many people know the legend of the bijuu... but the notion of them still being around isn't something mentioned often. For Mai's teacher to suggest something like that..."

"Mm," Nao had a scowl of sorts appear, "her saying that isn't the only suspicious thing either, but why would she? If she's one of the few people who know this secret, she would keep it that way. Doing something like this makes it seem like she wants something to happen."

"We're still the only ones who know about each other, right?"

"Could be... but it's not like we're telling people, so if there are others who know they're probably keeping it to themselves too."

"You know... she could have honestly been making it up to tease them..." Mikoto fell onto her back and rolled around on the bed in cat-like stretches

"Hmph, do you honestly think there's nothing going on?" Nao leaned back and folded her arms, and the words put a stop to the twisting body.

"...No."

"Then I'll try to see what information I can get on her," the girl got to her feet.

"Tell me if you find anything too."

"Mm," Mikoto nodded in agreement and rolled onto her stomach, "Nao... You- you don't always have to leave so quickly... Mai isn't back yet and-"

"But she will be soon," Nao cut off, standing at the door, ready to open it at any second, "And I can't, okay? You know that... You're the only one I can be friends with."

Just as Nao was about to reach for the handle, it quickly twisted and revealed the girl they had just been talking about. Although the opportunity for her to be revealed was cut short when Mikoto leapt to her feet and dove into Mai's chest.

"MAI!" she shouted, gripping the girl's waist so tight that she was able to hang on even when Mai stood back up, collecting herself.

Mikoto was glad it seemed she was getting used to such greetings, since she fully intended to keep doing it.

"I was uh, just leaving," Nao stuttered out as she slid through the little amount of remaining space left in the doorway, "I'll see you later, Mikoto."

"Oh, are you Nao-san?" Mai asked, tilting her head to the side and waiting for the reluctant confirmation, "Mikoto talks about you all the time."

"Eh? She does?"

"Yup! All time time!" Mikoto repeated with a grin, to which Nao scoffed playfully.

"Anyway, I gotta go, see ya," the younger redhead spoke tersely, stepping away from the scene as fast as she could.

"Ah, o-okay," Mai had a hand stretched out to call after her, but the girl was very good at disappearing when she wanted to.

That said, the arm found itself falling limply on the short ruffled hair of the girl next to her.

"Nao is always like that," Mikoto said with a smile, looking up at Mai, "She is very nice, but... she doesn't get attached to people."

"She likes you..." Mai returned the glance curiously, but was quickly winded by another forceful hug, tackling the girl into their room.

"Nao likes me just how I like Mai!"

* * *

Nao could only hope that Mai was put off enough by her behaviour that she wouldn't be inclined to ask her to stay another time, although she smirked as she stepped down the pathway to the city.

_But knowing that kid, she's likely to defend me and make her roommate even more curious._

However, the smile faded as fast as it had appeared. A familiar face showed itself at the far end of the path; and it was a face that the redhead never liked to see. Her fists clenched at her sides as she stepped forward even faster now.

At the same time, Natsuki – who was approaching the dorms – caught sight of the girl that she never wanted to see either. She was actually happy over the course of the past few days where they hadn't crossed paths. Nevertheless, she kept her jade eyes focused on the building in the sunset. She didn't want any trouble today; of course it was always on such days that trouble seemed to want her.

"Bitch," Nao coughed as they passed each other, loud enough to irk Natsuki out of her silence and turn around.

"Fuck you!" the biker yelled back, flipping her off at the same time.

"You wish!" the redhead snorted.

"Pfft, yeah right! And get all the diseases you've caught by now? No way."

Their arguing, however immature it may have seemed, was always cold. These two did not play. Every time they lashed out with words, they were trying to wound the other. And it was safe to say that they did, and at that last comment Nao was the one left bleeding.

"I'll fucking kill you!" she snarled at the older, more confident girl.

"Hah, you couldn't," Natsuki smirked.

She was ready to take on anything this pest of hers had to offer when a third figure appeared. She didn't know who he was, but from the looks of things it seemed he was on Nao's side.

"Leave her be!" Ishiro puffed out between heaving his breaths, apparently stopping the brawl that was sure to break out at any second.

He stood warily between them, but was clearly defending Nao – but she looked as though her anger had moved completely into him for the moment. Before anything worse could happen, the older girl flipped her navy hair and turned without a word. This was over for today, Nao had whatever saviour boy she wanted, and Natsuki had elsewhere to be. As her form shrunk into the distance, the fiery girl wasted no time in grabbing hold of the boy's collar.

"What the fuck was that about!?"she screamed, ready to pound him into the dirt, "Stay out of my goddamn business! Do you have any idea how bad that made me look? Being saved from Kuga... god, you're stupid!"

"But I- I didn't want you to get hurt or anything! That's all."

"Get this through your little goody-goody head: I don't need saving by _you_!" with a scoff, Nao finally let go and allowed Ishiro to realize that he had in fact been lifted an inch or so off the ground by only one arm.

"Can you please just hear me out?" he called after her, shuffling his feet to catch up, "All I want to do is talk. I- I'm so curious about you!"

Nao continued walking, never looking back. Too much had already happened day, things that only emphasized her need to stay away from others. But the fact that this boy was interested in her… interested her. She had always remained in the shadows, no one thought of her as being something beyond an anti-social student. But Ishiro had seen more of her.

_I screwed up..._

She scowled, with no intention of indulging him.

"You just won a lifetime supply of "who gives a crap". Congratulations."

* * *

"So... this is the temple, huh?" the boisterous redhead asked, looking up the stairs and sets of torii, her arms casually folded behind her head.

"Yes. Can you tell if the Rokubi is in there?" her scholarly friend asked, to which she received a laugh.

"Ha, no way. I told you this before, but we can't just 'sense' each other... Although judging from the rumours I hear, Orochi knows where Kyuubi is."

"Ah-!" Youko's mouth gaped open in surprise, this was definitely an interesting development, "Then where-?"

"Mou... She wouldn't tell me!" Midori moaned, her arms drooping at her sides as she continued with a sigh, "Anyway, that's the extent of it, and you can see why those two would be an exception. Bad blood and all."

Youko nodded, "What do you intend to do?"

"Hopefully get a chance to speak before this all blows up in our faces; I got a bad draw last time with the Hachibi. I never expected much of his host to listen in the first place. And the Gobi's host is out of the question now, too. I'm not gonna risk pissing off the wrong bijuu when I could just as easily get some of the others on my side," Her determined expression returned, looking back up to the temple while she stretched her arms out in front of her, "So there better be someone in here... otherwise I'm just some jackass bothering the monks."

The woman grinned and took a deep breath, her long ponytail starting to flick and jump at the wind surrounding her body. She continued to nonchalantly stretch her limbs and neck, all the while picking up speed and increasing the radius of her winds. The woman behind her was even starting to lose her footing, gripping her coat and the folder tucked under her arm. She still didn't move though and consequently the force around Midori seemed to plateau briefly.

"Come on, Youko, you know you can't be around now," she turned around to face her friend, winking one of her now-white eyes, "This is a jinchuuriki-only party."

The doctor groaned. She wanted so badly to see this. Even if she could never write about it in-depth because the subject seemed so farfetched, it was obvious that the sight of two jinchuuriki interacting would be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Nevertheless, the winds started picking up again, warning her of what was to come. Midori was right, if she stayed any longer there was a very good chance that she would end up blown away like a leaf in autumn. And so, with an affirmative nod, the woman turned and ran as far as she could from the scene.

_Good..._

Midori smiled and began stepping up the pathway, raising an arm to the midnight sky and rotating her wrist. The Ichibi's control of the element ascended into the atmosphere, taking hold of the currents and clouds above. It wasn't really her thing, being more of a natural desert dweller, but it was still within the realm of her power.

"Now, come out and play, will ya!"


	4. Couple's Night

**IV – Couple's Night**

At the top of the hill, in one of the temple's private rooms, Kazuya and Akane were sleeping next to each other. That was, of course, until the latter began to tremor. At first it could have been mistaken as nothing more than a stir in her sleep, but the brunette soon found herself lost in spastic twisting in the futon; carelessly hitting the boy next to her enough to wake him up.

"Akane-chan?" he grumbled, groggy for only a split second before his eyes widened at the sight before him.

The girl's eyes were shut tightly, but she was in a losing battle. Kazuya's gaze darted around the walls of the temple which were visibly shaking from the brewing storm around them. The howling of incredible winds pierced his ears; there was not much time.

"Damn it! She's seizing!"

He called her name as he watched her delicate human shape contort and then snap back like it was nothing. In a last attempt to subdue her like this, Kazuya reached out to grip her shoulders in place, but to no avail. What felt like a million volts of electricity nearly blew his hands off and sent him through the air to the back of the room. Whether he would consider it lucky or not, he was stopped by the solid wall that divided his room and the supply closet in the back of the temple. It hurt like hell, but it was better than being cast like a stone through the paper doors and into the forest.

Kazuya raised a shaky arm to brace himself against the wind which – was growing stronger – and tried to stand. His legs continued to give out though, and his head fell onto his shoulder where his fierce eyes landed on the doorway to the back room.

_If I could only... get in there!_

It was too late though, and his attention was back on Akane. He gazed angrily at whatever was making such an unnatural storm, but behind that was sadness. He couldn't stop her, he knew that much for sure, but also because he knew what this would mean soon enough. For her own reasons, Akane had never told him her secret. But Kazuya had a secret of his own about the girl, a few in fact.

This was not just any temple built to honour the god of thunder, but legend had it that it was built from the home of Raiden himself. And the line of priests who watched over it after it became a temple were descendants from that era, all of whom had educated themselves on the magic that existed beyond the eyes of the average person.

"Akane-chan!" he made one last attempt to wake her from what was certainly going to become a nightmare, but instead the girl lurched forward, practically making a complete flip onto all fours.

Claws grew out from her nails as she stood back up, albeit slightly hunched with a new centre of balance. Then with a piercing screech, Akane bolted out of the room, through the walls dividing the main rooms until she finally made it outside. The boy could do no more than watch the fleeting figure disappear at the speed of light, literally.

Her eyes, now golden and crackling with electricity stared up at the clouds above that continued to grow thicker. She screeched again, this time with an almost childlike smile, playfully making lightning dance across the sky. Despite how it looked, Akane was not completely gone, still kept within one of the lesser stages of possession. Her bijuu was merely influencing her thoughts and actions, making _her_ want to do this, and not just blindly taking over. Their little distraction by the light show would have to wait though.

"Yoooooo Raijuu!" Midori called from one flight down on the stair pathway, waving her hand at the girl – who had snapped her head in her direction – as if she were greeting an old friend, "Okay show's over, I just wanted to make sure it was you. I need to talk to the girl for a bit."

She got an angry screech in reply, Akane's expression becoming furious.

"I'm hurt," she joked, "but really Raijuu, we can play together in storms later. You know me, I need a flashy entrance."

"I'm..." although it was a whisper, the voice was still that of a weasel, "I'm... Not... Raijuu!"

Midori blinked at Akane, who balled her nervous hands into fists. It looked like she shouldn't have been able to form coherent words. Midori shrugged; it had been a learning experience if anything.

"Oh? 'kay then, I need to talk to you. I want to get all the jinchuuriki together," she saw Akane's attention perk for a second, "we need to-"

A bolt of lightning fell from the sky and crashed down into the stones next to the older woman's feet. She jumped to the side to ensure her evasion, but was also becoming worried with this turn of events. Midori could see why Raijuu would fight, unexpected but it was reasonable, but he also would not have denied being himself before.

"Who are you!?" Akane shrieked, her angry eyes started to run with tears, not that anyone could see it, "Why... why did you do this!?"

"Why?" Midori echoed, rubbing the back of her neck embarrassedly, "Sorry, like I said, flashy entrances are my thing. Besides, I figured if there was a storm it would put you in a good mood."

The woman had only just begun to realize how quickly that plan was failing, but thought it still salvageable. Another plan to fail.

"Tell me now! Who are you?!" the girl cried again.

"Huh? Can't you tell? I'm Shukaku's host!" she couldn't keep her smile to herself.

"Shukaku..." Akane trailed off, now looking at the ground, "Ichibi... correct?"

"Why are you so surprised? I thought it would be fairly obvious by now..." a thought struck her.

There was a moment of silence between them, save for the crackling and popping sounds coming from the brunette's lightning. Akane was torn. This person was the first who could remotely know what she had gone through her whole life, and yet she did not dismiss her thunder. _No... _She shook her head. _There was the possibility of others, I knew that from the start... Just because she is one too doesn't excuse this!_

"It doesn't matter!" she shouted in response, her voice laden with confusion, "I... All I needed was Kazu-kun by my side! I didn't need the other jinchuuriki! But you... now he..." her fangs clenched over her lower teeth, "now he's seen me like this! I won't forgive you!"

White eyes became wide and looked up from the body in front of her to the sky. It lit up once again, a thunderbolt coming after her more closely now. There would not be a warning like last time. The tanuki's host was slow too, especially in comparison to the one who held arguably the fastest bijuu. All Midori could do was blast wind in front of her, knocking Akane off her footing to the point where her trajectory shifted accidently.

This game would certainly not go her way if it continued in a physical fight; both Midori and Shukaku knew this. She tried one last time to reason with the Rokubi's host.

"Girl, just listen to me for a sec! I don't want to fight! That's the whole point of this! You're letting Raijuu get a hold of you too much!"

"No," she growled, "this is me... the 'me' that you called out with your reckless act!"

This was it; once again Midori hadn't been able to convince the other jinchuuriki of her theory, or get to the bottom of this thing without a fight. She didn't know why her actions were always so bothersome to everyone else; in her mind it seemed like a perfectly nice way to do this. However, tonight she would not be escaping the same way she had before. Akane struck out one last time, summoning a massive bolt from the sky and sending it down on her enemy.

"Akane-chan!" a boy's voice called from the broken doorway of the temple.

There was Kazuya, standing wobbly, but with a bow clenched tight in his bloody and burnt hand. Getting his breathing under control as best he could, the boy reached over his back into the quiver of arrows.

The brunette was startled, glancing back at him during her attack. Neither was aware at that point, but Kazuya had just saved Midori's life. Akane's strike was intended to kill; but because of the boy's distraction, she let go of her control too early without the lightning having charged to its full power. Still, it fell onto Midori, who didn't even have the time to strengthen her defence before being shocked into paralysis.

It was exactly at that moment that Kazuya took aim, using all of his strength to fight the pain as he pulled the arrow back. The bowstring cut into his wounds, and with the burns he had no actual sensation of holding the feathered end in his hand, but it was now or never. He opened his hand, letting the arrow fly through the air down towards where the two jinchuuriki were fighting. The loud cry confirmed that the arrow had pierced its target. Kazuya stayed at the top for a moment, just in case he would have to fire again, but it soon became clear that would not be necessary.

Akane fell to her knees first, slumped onto her side, and the storm in the sky above them grew quieter. Midori's winds had ceased when she was rendered unconscious, and with that arrow – specifically one fired by Kazuya – Raijuu was forced back into his cage inside the girl. The fight had been quelled and in the new found silence Akane could hear the faint sound of footsteps coming down towards her. Her gaze still fell on Midori because of the direction she had landed, but the sight only made her heart ache more. What had she done? It was over now... everything was...

"Akane-chan!" Kazuya called, rushing to her side and kneeling down next to her, bow slung over his shoulder, "Hang on."

First thing, he had to get that arrow out of her. If she had been any normal human it would have been fatal to do so, but they were both aware of how meagre of a wound this actually was for her. The brunette shut her eyes as she felt the wood slide through her flesh, gasping for a breath to ease the pain. It was over quickly though, and while she bled out just a little into her white night clothing, her organs were already going through regeneration from the inside out. However, there was still one pain that she couldn't get rid of.

"Kazu-kun..." she whimpered, looking away, unable to face him, "I never told you... What I am, I-... I'm sorry."

He looked down at her sadly, trying to smile in comfort as he cradled her head in one arm, his other arm embracing her by the side. His heartbeat grew more rapid when she finally locked eyes with him, her tear-stained cheeks twitching with anxiety.

"I also... have kept secrets from you," was his soft reply as he leaned over, gently pressing their lips together.

Akane's heart thumped in her chest and she blinked in surprise before her watery eyes fluttered closed. Though still weak, she reached for the hand that was wrapped around her, gripping it tightly at first but soon moved to intertwine their fingers. A few seconds later, Kazuya pulled away for a breath, ready to finally speak the words.

"I've known since we were children," he wasn't fazed by her flinch, "and I've always been watching over you. Because... This could never stop me from loving you."

"I... love you too, Kazu-kun," the girl whispered, lifting herself as much as she could to embrace him around his shoulders.

However, her weakness quickly returned and caused her to drift off into a deep sleep in his arms. Being forced both into possession and out of it took a lot of energy from her, but that was okay. Keeping his comforting smile intact, Kazuya lifted the girl as he stood, preparing to carry her back inside when he was stopped by a murmur.

He had turned back to the temple, but looked behind at the other woman who was regaining consciousness and trying to crawl to her feet. Kazuya's face became a frown, in all the excitement of his confession he had forgotten how this all came to be.

"_Shukaku's Host_," he said dryly, "I don't know what you were trying to do but I suggest you leave. You of all people should not want the fighting to begin."

"No..." she groaned, still incapable of moving for now, "if we... fight then... we can be free."

Despite the pleading tone, the boy did not seem impressed.

"Think about who is saying that, is it you?" he shot her a glare, as if to look deeper inside, "Or _him_?"

And without another word, Kazuya returned to the broken temple with Akane still asleep in his arms. Any repairs could be dealt with later, but for now the most important thing was making sure she would be okay.

* * *

"Hmph... this place sure does look empty," Haruka sighed as she looked around the pair's new dwelling.

Each of them only took what they could carry – two suitcases – so unpacking had been fairly short and left them looking around uncomfortably.

"We'll get more things soon, Haruka-chan," the brunette replied, "Besides, we didn't leave anything behind. It just looks like a lot of space because the rooms are bigger than our old ones."

"Speaking of that..." the blonde crossed her arms, attempting to give an air of toughness about her while hiding her face, "What do you want to do with the beds?"

"We can put them together," Yukino said with a bright smile, closing the distance between them with an embrace, "No sneaking, or being worried about getting caught by him."

Haruka nodded, returning the gesture with a smile of her own. They were finally on their way to living their life as they wanted, no longer kept as trophies by their self-proclaimed father figure. However, when she went to take a step back so that she could actually go through with the process of moving the piece of furniture, she was held in place.

"I want to go swimming..." the mousy girl said shyly.

"Heh, alright," Haruka knew better than to deny this all-too-cute girl and, grinning, gently ruffled her hair.

No more than twenty minutes later had the couple walked down from the school property towards the beach. It was closed to the public right now. But after a little persuasion from Yukino, Haruka didn't mind padding across the sand towards the waves, kicking off their shoes as they went. Although they had been hand in hand at the start, Yukino was the first to let go and skip ahead to stand knee deep in the ocean; leaving Haruka to chuckle a little at the adorable sight as she followed at her own pace.

The brunette took a deep breath, inhaling the salty air with her arms outstretched by her sides. A few seconds later though, she felt a hand lace itself with hers and glanced over to see her favourite set of violet eyes looking at her endearingly. Then, with an affirmative nod, Yukino tugged on the blonde and walked further into the water until it was deep enough to dive under.

With a grin and a splash, the pair fell in on their sides and proceeded to kick just a little to go deeper beneath the waves. They held on tightly as they swam side by side, gliding through the ebb and flow of the tide until they reached a mutually agreed position. There, the moonlight shone through the water, illuminating both of their faces that were gradually brought together in a kiss.

Things were not as beautiful above though. Two men had parked a black car along the side of the road, in clear view of the beach. Clad in business suits, they were distinctly on the job at the moment.

"Seven minutes and counting, sir," one of them spoke, and then held the earpiece firmly to make sure he heard the response correctly.

"Keep waiting. They will surface eventually," their apparent commander ordered.

"Sengo-sama?"

"Yes?"

"If I may ask: How exactly are they doing this? We've been watching this whole time and they haven't come up for air in," he looked down at his watch, "Seven minutes, fourty-nine seconds."

"Hmph, just stay focused on your assignment," came the gruff reply.

"Target Two has shown herself!" the other man spoke tersely, looking through the scope of a sniper rifle aimed directly at Yukino's head.

"Hold your fire!" Muramasa barked before any action could be taken, "You must take out Target One first, do you understand me?"

"Mm," the gunner replied, keeping his focus on the surrounding area in case Haruka were to pop up as well.

That was, until a loud rumbling could be heard above them.

"What the-...?"

That same loud booming noise could be in the water as well, and after a signalling hand motion from the brunette, Haruka surfaced as well; both looking up at the lightning ripping its way through the clouds. The winds had also picked up tremendously, although it had gone unnoticed with them being so deep underwater. One thing was certain though: if there was a raging thunderstorm going on nearby, the water was the last place you should be. Although a quick glance ahead showed that land was not the safest bet either.

"Haruka-chan! Get down!" Yukino yelled, grabbing the blonde and diving under again as fast as she could.

A shot rang out into the night, and a sizable bullet cut through the water a few feet away from where they had just been floating. They both stayed a safe distance away from the surface, certain that the sniper couldn't see them for the time being, but that still left them in a chokehold at the moment.

The pair looked at each other with a tinge of sadness in their eyes. Yes, land was their only option with the storm overhead sounding more and more vicious. Meaning that they would have to do something about the two men waiting for them who were less than likely to talk things over and politely leave.

A moment later, Yukino nodded and closed her eyes, slipping the glasses off of her face and handing them over for Haruka to hold. She would have to stay behind in the water for just a bit longer until it was safe.

"Tch, shot one: miss," the sniper relayed to the other two, pulling back the lever used to load the next bullet, "What the hell!?"

In the distance he could see the water start to form a whirlpool, and after a series of loud splashing noises it inverted into a spiralling column of water. Muramasa could hear both of his henchmen curse and yell in fear. Rising up with the waterspout was a partially transformed Yukino. Her pale skin had become toned with azure, her eyes pure black, but most of all: her arms had turned into fearsome weapons. Each forearm had sprouted a razor sharp fin, held onto her skin with a thick membrane.

"Drive, you idiot!" the gunner shouted, firing off another round with the best aim possible at the demon-girl.

The bullet grazed the side of her shoulder and seemed to cause no pain whatsoever. The only pain she felt now was in her heart. She took pity on these two who were probably never told _what _they were up against. But as timid as she normally was, Yukino's inhibitions were becoming hazy with the amount of demonic energy flowing through her. Her now perfect eyes saw, first and foremost, prey trying to escape.

Despite pushing the pedal as far as it would go, the takeoff speed for the vehicle was not enough to match the jinchuuriki's control of water. Using it to carry her, Yukino moved the column over the sand to the road where she then leaped off and landed on the hood of the car.

"Shit!" the driver yelled as the car swerved from the added weight.

And even though it was not at all suited for a close range fight, the other aimed his rifle at the girl and shot right through the windshield. However, it did little more than shower them with glass and spurred their attacker's rage. The once-shy girl pulled her lips back in a grin, revealing not one, but two rows of fangs. The force of the gunshot had also caused the driver to lose even more control, crashing the car into the hillside that the road coiled around. At least that wasn't the fatal part.

Once they had all come to a stop, Yukino ended things quickly; this had all started because there was a storm blocking their escape to the water, she had to be fast to get Haruka to safety. She grabbed the armed man first, pulling him toward her by his tie and making a quick slash across his neck with her fin; and then repeated the method on the other. And just like that, the excitement of battle was over.

But now came the problem arising from the strong scent of blood pooling around Yukino in her transformed state. Haruka had made her way out of the water and ran as fast as she could over to where the brunette was standing over the lifeless bodies. Luckily she hadn't lent Yukino too much of her strength, but she was still slower than she wanted to be for right now; there was something she had to prevent.

"Yukino!" she called from the stairs that led from the beach to the roadway, "Stop!" The blonde rushed closer, clutching her abdomen. She could tell from the look in the other girl's eyes that she was truly starting to succumb to the shark demon, "Goddamnit!"

Just as Yukino was about to take a cannibalistic bite out of one man's flesh, Haruka managed to tackle her to the ground. One thing she knew for a fact was that she was the only one immune to Yukino's potential retaliation while in this form; they were two halves after all. If Yukino were to hurt Haruka she would only damage herself.

The pair laid still, the blonde's body completely limp over the brunette's, but the weight in itself was enough to control the latter for the time it took for her to collect her thoughts. Silence reigned over them, save for the still-raging sky. And slowly but surely the fins on the sides of Yukino's arms began to fold up into her skin which was also reverting to its human state.

"...Haruka-chan..." she whispered, the olive tint rising over the pitch black of her eyes, "you're heavy..."

With a soft chuckle and sigh of relief, Haruka pushed up and back, now kneeling by the brunette's feet. Smiling, the blonde took Yukino's glasses from her pocket and gently slid them back onto her face; an unspoken symbol of her humanity. It wasn't more than a few seconds though before the former sprung back into action, they had to get out of there as fast as possible before the bijuu inside of Yukino could become further excited by the overwhelming scent. Carefully, Haruka lifted Yukino first to her feet and then up onto her back, staggering for a moment but got her footing well enough to carry the younger girl back to their home.

"Haruka-chan, how are your wounds?"

"I feel like I got shot in the stomach," she groaned, albeit with some mirth in her voice, "At least it only feels like it. It's a small price to pay to heal your actual injury," Haruka felt the tired arms hold tighter around her neck and the soft, wet hair lean into the back of her head.

"I love you..." Yukino whispered, the only sound that followed being the rain pelting down from the storm above.

* * *

The rain poured down from the storm surrounding the higher points of Fuuka, blown against the glass of Takumi's dorm room window. His deep purple eyes watched in awe as the tree branches that covered the campus swayed back and forth. The boy was sitting on his bed and leaning against the side of the wall as he looked outside; and then every so often at the reflection he saw in the glass.

On the other side of the room, Akira was occupied with his own activities as he usually was. This time he was sculpting a scale model of a katana. He was rather absorbed by it, clearly putting a lot of energy and focus into the clay as he moulded it around with ease. And although he never showed it, he was quite aware of his roommate's eyes glancing over at him on more than one occasion. At first he tried to keep more to himself by turning away, but when he still felt watched he let out a sigh.

Takumi blinked at the boy breaking from his trance with the artwork and leaning over the edge of the bed. When Akira sat back, he held another soft block of a grey-brown substance in his hand before casually tossing over to the younger boy.

"Eh? This is?" Takumi looked down at the object, now clearly a chunk of clay, and then back at his roommate.

"Try it out," Akira said flatly, "that way you won't have to just sit there watching me work."

"Ah, I'm sorry Akira-kun," the brunette replied bashfully, "I was just taken in by your talent."

The other boy hid his blush behind a confident smirk, choosing to instead flaunt his ability. Under most circumstances Akira wouldn't care about something so petty, but a part of him found Takumi incredibly fun to tease. Unlike nearly all other boys his age, the latter was very much attached to his sister, and made a point about showing off the more feminine skills he learned from her over the years. This of course clashed with Akira's more masculine upbringing, having spent his childhood helping training in martial arts with his clansmen.

"See if you can make a flower for your beloved," Akira started, grinning before quickly adding, "Onee-chan!"

"Akira-kun!" Takumi tensed up at the laughter that followed, slumped his shoulders and looked down at the material in his hands.

Their banter calmed quickly, both being introverts at heart, and the boy started to press his fingers into the clay in an attempt to shape it. The green-haired one had returned to his own project, working on the last finishing touches and assuring that the edge was sharp enough. Satisfied, he fluidly rolled off the bed and knelt down on the side opposite his roommate.

Careful not to make a sound by using all of his stealth abilities, Akira opened up a box full of clay weapons: most of which were Japanese styled such as shuriken and kunai. The katana was just one of many in this student's arsenal, and was securely placed inside before hidden back in the shadows under the bed. When he stood back up, Akira looked over at Takumi who, as expected, had been unaware of any happenings and enthralled in his failing project.

"Heheh, alright, maybe a flower is too complicated for you," he said, stepping around to the other side so he could sit on the edge of his bed and face the other boy, "I didn't think you'd actually do it though."

Takumi grumbled at the giggle he got, although more so at the clay falling apart once again.

"I thought Onee-chan would like it... And you could at least help me!" he retorted, squishing all the clay back together to try again.

"Fine," the boy rolled his fuchsia eyes and knelt down so he was now at face level with Takumi's hands, "But we're not making a flower!"

"Eh? But I want-"

Akira stared at him blankly, "We're making a dagger."

"But... so violent," the brunette nearly whimpered.

"Come on," the older boy got up and nudged the other in the shoulder before sitting next to him on the bed, "you need at least something cool if you're gonna insist on wearing that pink apron every time you cook."

"The dagger is... for me?" Takumi blinked into the similar toned eyes, and practically froze on the spot when he felt Akira's hands over his.

"Yeah, you're making it. And you're keeping it, alright?" he tried to push past the unusual expression of kindness, "Maybe it'll get you over that sister complex of yours."

And the mission was accomplished with the addition of one more sister joke. Takumi agreed to follow along, loosening his grip for the moment to allow Akira's hands to do a lot of the work. He wasn't sure what it was, but there was definitely something itching inside his chest. Perhaps it was the amount of jokes about Mai he had heard since moving in with this boy that reminded him of the fact that really, he had no friends his own age. The brunette felt his cheeks lighten as the tanto they were making began to take shape.

_Heh, for me..._

* * *

"Midori!"

Youko called her name from the lower set of steps, breathing heavily while she ran up as fast as she could. Despite having been told to wait, after ten minutes of not seeing her, the doctor had begun to worry; and rightfully so. From her current landing she could see other woman lying limply on the next flight of stairs. Her lungs burned as she pushed onward, determined to make sure she was alive. Elemental advantage aside, there was no way the Ichibi would win a fight against the Rokubi.

"Midori!" she cried again, kneeling down at the other woman's side and running a hand over her back in a comforting manner.

"... Hey... Youko..." the redhead mumbled between slow, ragged breaths, "I told you... to stay away from here."

"That doesn't matter anymore! Look at you!" she turned Midori over so she was now laying face-up, "If I hadn't come who knows what would have happened..."

"... You worry too much," the jinchuuriki said with a light chuckle, reaching a hand up to hold onto one of Youko's, "I'm already healing from the burns... Just... a little paralyzed."

Her green eyes stared up into the blue ones that continued to look down on her with worry. Youko was on the brink of tears, clenching her hand around the one Midori was holding. The sadness and anger were mixing together inside her, "Not just paralyzed... you're in pain too aren't you?"

"Heh," Midori shifted her glance away, smiling, "I told you not to worry."

"How can I not!?" the doctor shouted, now leaning over the other woman, using her presence to force their eyes to meet again, "You always do this! Everything in your whole life has always been about the bijuu... you never think of anything but finding them. But since we've come here you've gotten into two fights and exposed your identity. You're lucky to have escaped!"

"I think about you..." Midori offered sadly.

She had nothing more to give than that right now; after all, Youko was right. Finding the other jinchuuriki has always been – and would always be – Midori's priority, but that didn't mean it was all she ever thought about.

"...Please," Youko shut her eyes to keep the crying at bay, her plea not being one of hysteria – but of a calmer and more thoughtful frame of mind, "Midori... you have to stop... You are only going to get hurt even more. Why are you letting Shukaku influence you so much when there isn't more proof that his theory would work? Why can't you live your life?"

Midori coughed lightly when she felt the other woman's head weigh onto her chest. Though still mostly unable to move, she managed to lift one hand to lightly pet the top of her violet hair.

"Because," she breathed, looking up to the clearing sky with solemn eyes, "I want to be their hero."


	5. Temperantia

**V - Temperantia**

Kazuya let out a relieved sigh in the early morning. The sun had just begun to peek out over the horizon, gently illuminating the shattered temple. The storm from the night before made for a very clear today. The boy looked down at the sleeping girl before him, glad she was at peace for the time being. Another sigh followed with his smile as he moved aside some stray hairs from her forehead. He was about to pull away when he noticed Akane's tired eyes start fluttering open, so he instead rested his palm tenderly on her cheek.

"Good morning, Akane-chan," he greeted.

"Ka... Kazu-kun..." she muttered softly, leaning into the touch for a second before becoming more aware.

With a gasp, the girl sat up quickly and shuffled back, fearful of the flooding memories. Visions of golden light and a thunderstorm came first, followed by a clouded image of Midori standing in front of her. Akane choked and shut her eyes tightly, bringing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around herself. She tried to shake her head clear, but nothing worked until she felt a hand holding hers.

"It's okay," Kazuya spoke, "Please, rest... There's no need to be afraid anymore, remember?" He crawled forward a little, kneeling beside the shivering girl as he took her in his arms, "I love you."

Slowly, Akane's pounding heart began to slow, her anxiety fleeting away with the embrace. The words she wanted to hear for so long reached her ears for the second time and began prompting the lighter memories.

"A-Ah..." she breathed out, opening her eyes and reaching around to hold onto the boy's back, "I... I love you too..."

_You knew all along..._

And with that, everything was okay. As Akane continued to cling tightly to Kazuya, she thought deeply about her reasons for keeping herself a secret from him. Truly, she didn't care about much concerning being a jinchuuriki, and she was lucky enough to not be tormented by her bijuu like some of the other hosts were. Losing Kazuya over it was the idea that scared her the most. So if he was here with her now, after everything he had seen, it would definitely be okay.

"Nng!" the boy grunted painfully for a second and leaned back, off of his knees, to sit beside her again.

"Kazu-kun?" Akane asked, alarmed again before looking down at his hands and arms. She sank back in herself, staring curiously at the bandages she had failed to notice before.

"It's nothing," he replied with a sheepish grin, but blinked when he saw the girl reach out to him.

"Did I... do this?" she traced her fingers over the fabric, taking it all in.

"It's my own fault; I shouldn't have tried to touch you when I saw you were becoming possessed. Luckily it wasn't too bad because you were still asleep, but the burns will take some time to heal."

"I'm sorry," Akane looked away, "You're archery then...?"

"It can wait," Kazuya looked at her firmly, "and don't blame yourself over what Raijuu did."

"I-..." she paused and relaxed, nodding affirmatively, "Mm."

"Even then," the boy began, a tinge of anger appearing on his face, "It was the fault of the Ichibi's host..."

Akane's body grew cold from the inside out, "The others... Do you think they're all fighting?"

"I can't say for sure, but it isn't out of the realm of possibility. That's probably why we were attacked last night... Why the Ichibi's host thought she could take down Raijuu is beyond me but-"

"That's exactly it; it makes no sense why I was chosen there. If the Gobi tried... maybe even the Yonbi, I could understand them thinking they stood a chance. But why would Shukaku put himself in such a position?"

"Makes you wonder what her motives really were?"

"She could be working in league with someone else... I-" Akane cut herself off, gritting her teeth and shaking her head, "No! No strategy or anything matters! I'm not going to fight!"

Kazuya reached out to hold her once more, settling her down before she could possibly lose control again. Her body was fragile from the transformation, which left her vulnerable to it happening again soon after.

"Shh, I know," he cooed, "but... Do you really think that you can avoid it?"

"I have to try," she replied, "I don't want to hurt anyone... I can't even decide who I want to protect more, innocent civilians or the other jinchuuriki. I've lived so ignorant of what I am."

"Akane-chan?"

"I thought that I could be normal... Raijuu was always under control, so I really didn't feel like being a jinchuuriki was a big deal. I didn't even know there were others, even if the legend talks of nine demons. But now, I'm starting to wonder about them. If there is one more, where are the other seven? What are their lives like? Are they power hungry or do they want to avoid this as much as I do? I... I don't know anything..."

"I doubt they know much more than you do. I'm going to help you through this as much as I can. I will make sure that you stay under control."

"Kazu-kun..." Akane turned to look at him, both grateful for his offer and inquisitively with her head tilted to the side, "How did you stop me last night?"

"Heh," the boy's cheeks reddened a little as he smiled and pet her head, "The bijuu aren't the only ones reincarnated."

"What?" the brunette's eyes widened with shock, not only were there more like her, but apparently more all together?

"The reason I can calm Raijuu," he looked at her softly, "is because I am a descendant of Raiden, Raijuu's master."

* * *

Nao's eye twitched as she neared the main gates of the academy. Her hand gripped tightly around the strap of her book bag and she stood still, trying to get herself out of a situation she was quickly being caught up in. Looking directly at her was Ishiro, his dark eyes focused, but not threatening.

"Quit it!" the redhead finally snapped, trying to walk past him when the shifting emotions of his gaze enticed her to stop... for some reason.

"Why won't you talk to me...?" he sighed.

"Hmph, why would I talk to some wimp like you?" the girl crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back on one leg.

This kid was stubborn, that was for sure, so she would have to step up fighting back.

"Oh," Ishiro had suddenly taken on a confidence all his own, "So you only talk to the 'cool kids'?"

Lime green eyes widened for a split second, she wasn't expecting back talk. Her face returned to a frown, continuing to stand her ground, albeit a bit firmer than before.

"No. I don't talk to _anyone_. But even if I did, it would only be to get something and then be on my merry way, get me?"

"No I don't!" the boy shouted back, his fists clenched at his sides, earning another curious glance form the girl, "That's just it... I don't get you, but I want to. My whole life has been so damn _average _and boring! So when you broke up my painfully tedious pattern..." He looked up again, forcing their eyes to meet, "How could I let you just fade away into the background...?"

Nao blinked, mulling over the words. He was so serious, it confused her really. Just like she had confused him by being in his life, he was returning the favour. That would be her justification to herself, even if she never gave a damn about honour before.

"Ugh, fine," the girl groaned, "If you have the guts to cut class, I'll talk to you."

She turned on her heel and started to walk away from both the boy and the academy. Her demeanour and pace made it clear that if Ishiro was going to stay back there and stare questioningly at her any more, she would leave without him. Most of her wished he would have just stayed there; but when she soon heard the quick steps approaching her, somewhere inside she was happy. The same happiness when Mikoto approached her, and when she was still too far ahead for him to see, she smiled.

The two middle schoolers walked side by side on the pavement, Ishiro with his hands in his pockets casually and Nao with one hand on her bag and another hanging limp at her side. A weekday morning meant the district was not as crowded as it could be, but there were still people around running their daily errands. These two had nowhere to be though, and so they just kept walking.

"So, really, why are you so interested in me? It can't just be because of a random kiss... Because honestly, it meant nothing and you should just forget about it," Nao started off the conversation.

"Can't it?" the boy chuckled at her not-so-amused face, revealing a charming smile, "It's not just about you, it's about me. You didn't even give me your name after all."

"Eh?"

"Like I said, I'm tired of my boring life, and yours is exciting! You don't wake up knowing exactly what's going to happen and I... I want that too. When you broke up my routine it was like I could feel a whole new story of my life beginning, and I don't want it to be over yet. That's why I continued to chase you, because I've never felt like I needed to before."

Nao looked down at the ground as they walked steadily, listening to his every word and trying to put together where she fit into it. From the way he spoke it seemed like she was going to be a part of 'his story' whether she wanted to be or not. Such is the price for being alive. Ishiro looked over at her thoughtful expression. It was much sweeter than the cold persona she worked to keep up.

"Nao."

"Eh?" he raised an eyebrow, and then winced when his head was hit playfully.

"It's my name... dumbass."

* * *

With her morning classes over with, Natsuki went about her normal lunch time routine of meeting with Shizuru. Lately the older girl had been busy with student council duties, but she had scheduled a few days like today where they could spend some time together. The couple had been feeling the strain on their relationship recently, although Natsuki was unaware of what caused it. Shizuru had kept her responses to any questioning rather ambiguous. She didn't want to hint at anything bigger than simply not feeling well.

_Natsuki... _She sighed and shuffled some papers into her bag as the classroom emptied. _Is not just an innocent bystander... She knows enough to pick up on subtle hints I might drop. I need to be careful._

When the larger bulk of the students had cleared the doorway, the crimson eyes glanced up to see the girl in question waiting for her with a peaceful smile. Caught in the emerald gaze, Shizuru found herself oddly calm. It was the first time since the new arrivals that she had a peaceful lunch date with her girlfriend.

_Careful perhaps but... I just need to be myself. She will be her, and I will be me. _She smiled back and stood up, walking out the door and taking Natsuki by the hand. The touch alone was enough to remind her of the most important fact: _This love... is ours._

A few minutes later, the pair had exited the academic building and strolled across the vast campus of their school. A cool breeze ensured that the shining sun would not become overbearing, creating a nice atmosphere for the lunch date in the forest. Most students who ate outside during good weather would sit at one of the picnic benches scattered around, but Natsuki liked her solitude.

Shizuru giggled, finding it quite cute how... childishly adorable it was, being tugged along by the girl through the foliage. The clearing they reached was Natsuki's secret place, and she was the only one other allowed to see it. The lone wolf of Fuuka Academy was naturally picky about who she cared to spend time with, and unbeknownst to others, she considered eating a very personal activity and would only do so alone until Shizuru forced herself into the girl's comfort zone.

"Oh, would you mind looking back and making sure no one followed?" Natsuki asked, despite having a good enough nose to figure that out herself, she needed Shizuru to turn around.

With a light chuckle, Shizuru played along as she always did. It was important for Natsuki to keep her identity a secret, even if it meant from her, so she would humour her love. While she faced the trail that had come through, back turned to the clearing, the younger girl shifted her eyes away and innocently clasped her hands behind her back. Then, with a smirk, she used her invisible tail of wind to swish once and clean the area completely of all fallen twigs and leaves.

"I don't see anyone, I think we're alone," Shizuru said, turning back around slowly to see Natsuki sitting comfortably on the ground with her bento in hand.

"Mm, good. I wouldn't want to have to chase off a mob of fangirls..." the navy-haired girl mused as she took a bite of food, eyeing Shizuru's calm expression as she sat down across from her.

It was all thanks to Natsuki's obliviousness that this, and all the other lunch dates, never became awkward. She truly had no idea of just how aware Shizuru was of her identity.

_I want you to know... But this is all I can do... Little tricks here and there, and hope you're amused..._

* * *

The doctor and her companion were alone in the silent room of their shared dwelling. The afternoon sun panned across both their sleeping faces and illuminating the white sheets. Midori was, despite her remaining injuries, sprawled out in a carefree position and openly snoring while Youko was delicately curled up to her side with her arms wrapped around the other woman's waist. It was the latter who stirred first, the brightness finally reaching her eyes that clenched once before slowly opening. Squinting at the light, Youko raised a hand to shield herself from it while she sat up. It had been one hell of a night, so sleeping until four, as she saw when she made a routine glance to the clock radio, was reasonable.

Shifting quietly as to not disturb Midori, Youko sat up and slid out of the bed, walking over to the small kitchenette of their studio apartment to fix herself some coffee. Her eyes would frequently gaze over to the redhead, and once her drink was ready, they solemnly rested on her as she sipped the beverage. The doctor was resting against the counter, arms pressed against her body to make up for the warmth she missed as she took another sip.

Midori had been hit with over a billion volts of electricity, she estimated, from the enhanced lightning strike from Raijuu's host. Youko's first thoughts leaned towards thanking the powers at be that the woman was a jinchuuriki and thus able to survive; but after a quick recall and a frown, she remembered that if she wasn't, then Midori wouldn't have been hurt in the first place.

_But... if she wasn't... I never would have met her and who knows where I'd be now..._

* * *

**Three Years Ago**

A young PhD student stumbled across the sandy desert, a case of tools in one hand and a briefcase in the other. Youko's long brown hair flickered behind her in the wind as she followed her superiors to the dig site. Her excitement was driving her onward, even in the blistering heat. She had never been asked to be a part of an excavation before.

_And even this time... It's not like I was the first they picked... I got lucky that the others weren't able to come._

She lifted her arm to protect her eyes when looking up to the sky. They had finally reached their destination and her superiors had already gone down to the site that had been started by a previous team.

_Yes... this is a lucky place for me! I can feel it!_

A few days later, the thrill of the excavation was beginning to lose its appeal. Instead of directly participating, Youko had been kept as a mere backup that essentially sat on the bench the whole time unless she was being asked to fetch something. She was qualified for more than this. She was able to work alongside these other people, but because of her age she was always kept away. The girl was a genius, her grades showed it; but because she had advanced through her earlier stages of education rather quickly, she was younger than her peers.

_And those stuffy old professors don't want some kid messing with their precious finds..._

She sighed and sat down under one of the tents, opening up her lunch and taking one of the bottles of alcohol she kept in her private cooler. Normally she wouldn't drink on the job, but who was looking?

"Homigawd! Is that beer!?"

"What the-!" Youko jolted around to face the bearer of the energetic voice: a girl about her age with bright shining green eyes and untamed red hair. She didn't know where she had come from, but judging by the way the latter was staring at her drink, it was clear her mind was on one thing only, "Umm... yeah," she tilted her head, "Want one?"

The stranger nodded her head frantically and beamed at the bottle that was handed to her. At first it looked like she was going to treasure the thing forever, but that image left Youko's mind the second the girl twisted off the top and chugged the whole thing.

"Ahhhh! That was good!" the redhead sighed contently and plopped herself down in the sand in front of the student.

"Err, so, are you affiliated with the university or something?"

_But she's so young..._

"Who? Me?" the girl pointed to herself and cocked her head to the side before chuckling at Youko's nod.

"Nah, I was just taking a nap over there," she thumbed over her shoulder to point to the desert, "and I wanted to see what was going on. People don't usually come around here so I got curious."

"You were taking a nap in the middle of the desert?"

"Well yeah, I live here."

"O-oh... wait! Is there a village nearby?" the student was still very confused.

"Nope, just me: Midori!"

It was time to just roll with it. The mischievous look in her eyes told her that any more questions would not be answered; at least not without a cryptic and annoying puzzle to them.

"I'm Youko," she replied, a smile catching her features for the first time since she had begun to realize what her purpose on the team was supposed to be.

"So Youko," Midori hopped up onto the bench to sit beside the other girl, "Why are you over here, when they're over there? Or better yet, why are you here in the first place?"

"We're looking for urns and stuff," Youko sighed, "and they kept criticizing everything I tried to do to help so I decided to just stay out of it. Even if their outdated methods might actually damage the artefacts, they don't want my help." She looked down at the ground and then out into the distance, "I could find one just as easily as they could if they would give me the chance... My career is riding on this. But I guess doing paperwork isn't so bad. It's steady money even if it's not as exciting."

Midori tilted her head sadly and then suddenly leaned over to pull Youko into a tight hug. Her dampened expression returned quickly to her signature grin as she patted the girl on the head.

"Aww! How can you say that? You have to live life to the fullest!" she looked down, shining her smile straight into Youko's heart.

"Who are you...?" blue eyes gazed up into green ones, too distracted to notice the girl reaching behind her back.

"Ah! That'd be a secret!" Midori grinned and slid off the desk, leaving an urn in Youko's hands as she leaned down to whisper in her ear, "I'll tell you if you go on a date with me."

Youko flushed red.

* * *

That date, and a series of many others came to pass. The two had gone from casual acquaintances, to friends, to dating, to roommates and so on. However, Midori always had that one mysterious element to her: their meeting. She had called it being free spirited, also the reason why she was able to follow Youko home to Japan so easily. It had just passed their one year anniversary as an official couple when the latter decided to finally get that peace of mind she needed. So she found herself now, alone in a room with her girlfriend, silently waiting for an answer.

"It doesn't matter," Midori chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of her neck, "Isn't all that's important that we're together now? And how amazing this past year has been?"

"It has been... Which is why you can trust me. It doesn't matter why, but I just need to know... You can't evade this topic anymore."

"... I do trust you, Youko," Midori sighed, coming to terms with her own truth.

Deep down she knew as well that if they were to continue moving forward, there would have to be no secrets between them. And so, she closed her eyes and opened up that door, summoning a gentle breeze to flow throughout the room.

"I've seen your documents, Youko. You know the story of the bijuu. So you should understand what I mean when I tell you..." she revealed her white eyes, "I am the host of the Ichibi."

A second later, Midori dismissed control of her element and returned to normal, for the first time shying away from Youko's stare. The surprise and confusion was evident, but it lacked the hostility and fear that the former had been expecting. Silently, Midori turned around and headed for the door, ready to get back on the road alone again; but she was stopped.

"Y-Youko?" the sad green eyes looked down at her arm, at the girl clinging tightly to her.

"Take me with you!"

"Huh?" that certainly wasn't what she was expecting to hear.

"You need to be free, don't you? That's your nature... So if you have to leave, take me with you!"

* * *

_**Present time...**_

Two years had passed since Youko had made that request. Nostalgia filled her heart as she took another sip of her coffee and sat back down on the bed, a hand combing her now short and violet hair. She smirked, and the same hand reached down to comb through Midori's flaming tresses.

_I don't regret it, you know? I might get upset at you for getting into so much trouble but I'd never wish I stayed behind. You took me around the world. You gave me my life back. I didn't need those people who didn't respect me when I knew that you did..._

"You... freed me..." she whispered.

* * *

"Aahhh," the young new student yawned, ruffling her short red hair as her day was finally coming to an end.

Mai grinned as she walked down the half empty hallway once the club activities were over. Being a natural extrovert, she ended up joining as many as the academy allowed. She didn't mind coming home later, and it never tired her, so she didn't seem the harm.

"And at least I know Mikoto will be getting her homework done with Nao-san," the redhead chuckled to herself, "It's cute how she can't leave me alone..."

With a content smile on her face, Mai strode across the grand foyer of the main building. There were a few students lingering here and there, but the quiet was a nice and peaceful change; as was the soft glow of the sunset.

"Good afternoon Mai-san," a familiar male voice spoke, causing the violet eyes to dart up and blink as a light blush formed on her cheeks.

"A-ah, Kanzaki-san," she couldn't help but smile when he did.

"Please," he laughed softly, "I told you, Reito is fine."

Mai looked away bashfully, embarrassed that she continued to have the habit of addressing him so formally. It also looked like what seemed to be a chance meeting was revealing itself to be more important. Reito stood there quietly until the younger girl collected her few wandering thoughts and now seemed more focused on why he was apparently waiting for her specifically.

"Mai-san, I wanted to ask you to come to the festival this weekend... As my date."

Whether it was the invitation or the gasp that followed, something had turned the surrounding students' attention on the pair. A few envious whispers were uttered in the distance, but Mai couldn't hear anything over the sound of her beating heart. She looked up into those uniquely tinted eyes, feeling the heat of her body rise to her face.

"I can pick you up and we can drive here together-"

His confident, cool demeanour didn't waver in the slightest, despite how long it was taking the girl to formulate a proper reply, which was now another factor influencing her decision. Finally, she sighed into a smile and nodded.

"I-I'd love to..."


	6. The Festival

**VI - The Festival**

Students were continuing to flow in and out of the main auditorium. It was dark save for a few spotlights that moved in time with the blaring music. It was this dance that was the climax of the Fuuka Academy Festival. After a long day of games, food, and traditional events, it was time for everyone to get all together for the grand finale.

Shizuru stood at the far edge of a slightly raised platform, being the first of the student council on supervision duty for the next hour. She didn't mind – in fact, she preferred to be first since that would leave the rest of her evening free. She didn't like having to be so busy working during the festival and would much prefer to be spending it with Natsuki, but it wouldn't be much longer. Her eyes were scanning the large room when the new teacher approached her once again.

"So you would actually try coming to me second time?" Shizuru spoke tersely, never taking her eyes off the students, "You are more foolish than I thought."

"And you're definitely harsher than I imagined. Honestly, I would have thought you'd have your emotions under better control by now. Oh well," Midori shrugged, "but just so you know, I'm avoiding the Gobi as much as I can because _you_ asked me to."

"Good. I don't warn anyone twice."

"Must suck though, having so much in common and not being able to talk about it with each other," Midori stretched her arms behind her head in a relaxed manner.

"I can see it in your eyes; you've been carrying that weight for a long time. You should just tell her."

"Natsuki is none of your business, and neither am I for that matter. I am not supposed to know what she is, that is how she wishes it. The only reason I do is because of an accident, when I _didn't_ do as she wished…" her voice became solemn, "If I hadn't had followed her… I never would have known."

* * *

**Some Time Ago…**

It was almost two in the morning and Natsuki was still tossing and turning in her sleep. She tried to be still as possible, not to wake the other who had her arms wrapped around her waist. However, she simply could not calm down. She needed to run or something, anything. Silently, she crawled out from the sheets and dressed in her outdoor clothes. It was the sound of the door shutting that woke Shizuru, blinking hazily and feeling the emptiness around her.

It was not uncommon that Natsuki would leave suddenly, particularly due to a poor sleep pattern, but a part of her always wondered where she went. It wasn't even like she approved of a girl running alone at night, even if it was on campus. Just once she would have to know. Quickly as she could, Shizuru dressed as well and followed the path that Natsuki told her she always took. It was the best compromise she could make, at least to know the route she would be on in case anything happened, in return Shizuru had promised never to look for her and placed all of her trust in Natsuki's return. But she couldn't bear it any longer.

Chestnut locks floated in the cool breeze of the night as she walked along the stone walkway out from the dormitory. She could certainly see why Natsuki would enjoy this peaceful atmosphere, especially with that beautiful song that danced within the winds.

_Wait… a song? _She stopped in her tracks, lost in thought for a moment before realizing that certainly there would not be any music that just existed without a source, not this song. _I know this song… Natsuki always slips into it without realizing. It has to be her but… _Shizuru followed the sound into the woods of Fuuka's enormous 'back yard.' She felt like she was walking forever, into the depths of the forest that she didn't even know were there. _How did she even get this far in? Better yet, why? It-_

Crimson eyes shot open and she froze stiff in her tracks. No words could come to her mouth or her mind. She was consumed by the sight before her; something so beautiful had sparked such intense terror in her soul.

A few metres away, safe in a small clearing, sat a massive white dog. More than a dog, it was far larger, perhaps the size of a bear and with five tails swaying around itself; each representing one of the elements. The dog's face was upturned to the starry sky, and continued to sing, unaware of Shizuru's presence.

_No… _The scarlet orbs began to tear up. _You… can't be… Not Natsuki. Natsuki can't be one of us!_

She covered the sound of her choking sobs with her palm, unable to look away from that which frightened her so.

* * *

**Present Day…**

_Why did she have to be involved…? _

Shizuru sighed, "I won't be enticed by your taunts tonight, Ichibi. What's done is done, and I would like to enjoy this night with my Natsuki as soon as I am done here."

* * *

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," Nao grumbled as she walked beside Ishiro towards the auditorium.

The boy simply chuckled at her less than enthused expression.

"You even dressed up," he continued to laugh, "I really wasn't expecting that."

"Well you said we were going to a dance! What else was I supposed to think?" the redhead huffed.

"Hey, all I asked was if you _wanted_ to go… You're the one who jumped to the conclusion that we _were_ going," he replied with a shrug.

"Yeah, well, thanks to your little fun with ambiguity I'm stuck looking like an idiot for the rest of the night while you're just in jeans and a tee! Geez," she sighed and facepalmed, "this is ridiculous, I'm going home."

Ishiro stopped a few steps ahead of Nao, who was indeed turning around to leave before she felt a hand gently grab her arm. She was about to turn around and snap at him for touching her, but got herself under control just in time to shoot him a glare instead.

"I'm sorry, I know you don't liked to be touched, I just didn't want you to leave," he offered a weak smile, "I'll stop teasing now, just please, one dance?"

The boy grinned sheepishly, asking for forgiveness through his actions, and receiving it through hers. With a fake-angry sigh, Nao turned back in the direction of the auditorium, looking straight ahead at their destination but taking hold of Ishiro's shirt to pull him along behind her.

"Come on – but just one!"

The boy nodded and happily went along with her, laughing inwardly at the intricacies of her behaviour. She was much more confident and willing if she was the one taking action, and all in all, Ishiro knew he was naturally passive. This suited him, he thought. _And she looks so cute with that determined face._

"Okay, so how do we do this?" Nao asked bluntly, staring at all the other couples, and singles, on the dance floor.

Her arms were folded over her chest as she attempted to study just exactly what everyone else was doing.

"Worried you'll look like an idiot?" he joked.

"No, worried I'll be seen with one," she shot back sarcastically.

"Well, no need to fear that," Ishiro stepped in front of her and held out his hand, quite gentlemanly, "Just take my hand and I promise you won't look stupid."

Green eyes stared hard at the gesture. It was something she had only seen vaguely in childhood: someone opening up to her, reaching for her, asking for her. She hesitated, and he waited. This was weird. There was something about his innocent smile that drew her closer, taking a step and reaching her own hand out. And in the second she prepared herself for him walking away, she instead felt his touch on her skin.

"There," he said softly, easing her into the transition of a normal social encounter, "Now just stay close and follow my steps."

"A-alright," although Nao kept frowning, her blush made her feelings perfectly clear, making Ishiro smile even more.

For the entirety of the song, they moved slowly together, each step bringing Nao a little more to ease with the situation. At the start she held herself far from Ishiro, worried about tripping on her own feet and not being entirely comfortable with their proximity at the moment. It took some time, but for practicality's sake – she told herself – it was easier to dance closer to his body as a whole. Ishiro was quite lucky; he ended up making it through three and a half songs before noticing a sudden pain in his hand.

"Ah," he winced, stopped dancing and stepped back to take a look at it, "What the hell?"

Nao's chest froze up, fear present in her eyes. The hand which she had been holding was now covered in a rash and sores. Ishiro was more confused than anything at the sudden outbreak – and actually tried to hide it out of embarrassment – but the girl was quick to grab his wrist and get a closer look before choking down some tears.

"Sorry, this is weird, I don't usually get skin problems from being nervous-"

"It's not that!" Nao shouted, backing away, "It's my fault!"

"W-what? No wait, Nao," the boy called out to her, but to no avail, he would have to run to get to her.

"Stay away from me!" she yelled again, not wasting a second in bolting from the crowd and out the door.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she cursed herself on every step. _I knew it! I knew not to get close to anyone! This is what happens when I do physically… Emotionally it would be… _She grit her teeth and came to a stop, clutching her arms and shutting her eyes tight, falling in further upon herself. _Please… don't let me care about him!_

* * *

"Woohoo! Dance party!" Mai exclaimed, twirling excitedly hand in hand with Mikoto, just in time for Natsuki to approach from the side.

"…Are you high?" the raven-haired girl asked aloud, bring them both to a stop and some sheepish smiles.

Natsuki just stood there staring at the two of them. Mikoto, she had always found odd; but she didn't see anything strange with this new girl. She was probably too cheerful for her tastes to have around all the time, but certainly not threatening in any way.

_What was Shizuru on about? "I don't like her" but why?_

"Oh, Hello Kuga-san," Mai greeted with a smile, this was the girl who helped her on her first day after all.

"Just Natsuki is fine, really," she wasn't usually the one trying to make conversation so this was difficult, but had to be done, "So… are you enjoying the festival?"

"Yes! Very much," the redhead answered, "This school is so glamorous, I can't believe I'm getting all of this just for being a good student."

"Yeah, they're weird with their scholarships here… I really don't know why I have one. I don't take school all that seriously."

"Maybe they do it by how much potential they see in you?"

Natsuki raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "You're saying I have potential?"

"Of course!" Mai was apparently unaware that she was being laughed _at_ for suggesting something so strange, "Everyone has potential, even if it's not blatantly obvious. Maybe they think that if they support you you'll be able to get into your classes more."

"Yeah," Natsuki stared at her, expression laden with sarcasm, "Nothing at all to do with me being the kaichou's girlfriend. All about my potential."

Mai rubbed the back of her head. In all honesty, she was still a bit sore on the subject of Shizuru's apparent dislike of her, "Well, that must mean at least she thinks you have potential?"

While those two were occupied with the idle chatter, Mikoto had her focus on the redhead who just walked in. She was surprised to see Nao at an event like this, much less with someone other than her. It brought a smile to her face, albeit a slightly disheartened one. Seeing Nao with someone other than her meant that she was feeling more open and safe with herself… but Mikoto still held a sort of childish jealousy for Ishiro. For a long time she was all that Nao had and now that was changing. But everything was changing, and if this meant that Nao would be happy, the girl simply couldn't bring herself to object.

* * *

"What are you doing out here by yourself?" a familiar voice asked from behind Takumi, startling him.

"Ah! Akira-kun! You startled me," he caught his breath again and smiled relieved.

His stealthy roommate walked around from behind the bench he was sitting on and sat beside him. With his arms on his knees, Akira sighed and looked forward at the gazebo. It was quiet here; he could see why Takumi appreciated this a lot more than a booming party.

"You're like me," the green-haired boy said, "Those things give me a headache too… I just came because it's tradition to at least show up."

"I came to see Onee-chan on her date," Takumi beamed happily before getting a light smack on his head.

"You're silly," Akira jested bluntly, "and your sister takes up way too much of your mind for a normal kid."

"Hey, she's like a mother to me," he defended.

"So you have a mother complex too?" Akira stared deadpan at his nervous expression.

"Mou, Akira-kun…" the brunette boy grumbled despite being accustomed to the teasing.

He then sighed and leaned back, arms hanging limply at his sides and his head back over the bench, "… I still run out of breath too quickly," he admitted, "Normally it's fine… but I couldn't even get near girls to ask them to dance because I would get too nervous and end up in a coughing fit. Finally, I just needed to get out of there."

Akira glanced over at Takumi – who now, alone here – seemed at utmost peace. He was suddenly aware of how close their hands were, any more and they would touch.

_Heh, of course he doesn't see me as a girl…_

"Come on," Akira said as he got up and walked over to the gazebo. He was trying to hide his blush in the shadows.

"Akira-kun?" Takumi was confused by the outstretched hand that was seemingly for him.

"Y-you wanted to dance, right?" Only a small stutter, nothing too bad, "And I figure if it's girls who make you nervous then… you could… dance with me and… you know, never mind! It's dumb!"

Takumi giggled at his roommate's rambling, and then turned it into a nervous chuckle. They could try pushing it off as a joke as much as they wanted but he was truly leaning towards a yes.

"It would be weird…" he said shyly, fidgeting with his hands as he stood, "But…"

Akira turned his head back to the other boy approaching him nervously. He had mostly expected a negative response, but this… his heartbeat started to rise and he gulped down some anxiety.

"No one can see, can they?" the brunette asked, glancing around uneasily before stepping inside the mask of vines hanging over the gazebo.

"N-no they can't…" Akira felt his hands become warmer at the touch of Takumi's.

The atmosphere had changed significantly with that touch. The former hadn't even intended for it to happen this way. It was supposed to be a joke; even if they did dance it would just be two friends pretending. The only thing holding it together was the mutual silence. Any word from one, and the other would probably have darted into full denial, but they kept quiet. Muted music from the auditorium and their own footsteps were the only sounds they heard, slowly embracing each other. This feeling of pure safety… neither had experienced it truly until now.

* * *

"Are you done yet?" Natsuki asked jokingly, as it was only a few minutes past the hour. But she was glad to see Shizuru smile back at her, it had been so long since she seemed happy.

"Such a cute puppy, coming straight to me," the president teased, hopping off the platform with the gallant hand of her girlfriend to help.

Turning away to hide her blush, Natsuki led the two of them onto the dance floor and pulled Shizuru in close to her. They began to sway to time with the music, and together the elder girl was able to forget –if only for a moment – what they were and all the terrible things that could happen. Until the end of this song, they would be no more than two girls dancing with each other. Demons would not exist for the next two and a half minutes.

But right on cue, they would always exist. Though continuing to dance, Natsuki could feel Shizuru's body become tenser and her movements more strenuous. She stepped back for a second.

"I'm sorry, you've been standing for a long time. Do you want to sit for a bit? Or maybe get out of here if it's too loud?" she tilted her head inquisitively.

"I'm fine," she replied, closing the gap between them once again, holding Natsuki still in a tight embrace as the upbeat dance music surrounded them.

_This girl… is Houkou… _She could feel Natsuki hug her back, and with her face out of view smiled mirthlessly, "This love… could it be an illusion?"

Jade eyes blinked at the question, but she replied with a cautious giggle, "Don't be silly," she looked into her eyes, smiling, "I love you, Shizuru."

"Mm, you're right, that was silly," she smiled back, pulling away from the difficult subject, "You've always looked so beautiful in the night."

_Never more so than on that night…_

* * *

"Nao! Wait" Ishiro called, running after Nao onto the vast green hillside.

"Get away from me, damn you!" she shouted back, never turning around until she could see the street lights coming up ahead at the gate of the academy.

The girl cursed again, knowing full well that if she were to run into a crowded public space she would be far more dangerous than surrounded by emptiness here. She had finally come to a stop, but quickly looked back at the boy following her.

"I said not to come any closer!" Nao snarled, shivering from the cold toxic sweat coming from her.

"Okay, okay," Ishiro raised his hands defensively, a few metres away and keeping that distance between then.

The two were consumed by the silence then, with the boy confused and the girl realizing that there was no way she would win... just like always.

"Damn it! Damn it! Fuck it all!" she screamed into the night sky, heaving her enraged breaths, the grass around her turning brown and diseased the more she lost herself in her emotions, "I shouldn't feel like this! I can't!" she cried out, focused more than anything on the new shade of grey where Ishiro's deep brown irises once were; of course, he had no idea.

"Nao, please calm down, I don't know what happened to you but if it was me then really, I'm sorry. I was just teasing tonight; I didn't mean to actually push you into something you didn't want-"

"You idiot! Because you insisted on spending so much damn time with me, you've doomed yourself! Why did you keep following me then? Why didn't you listen!" she shut her eyes, trying to keep the tears inside, "Why… didn't _I_ listen…?"

"I, I don't understand…"

"Look at your hand, you moron! Because it touched mine it became like that!"

"…What?"

"You can't fight it, this is no common illness… it's not even a human illness!" Nao grit her teeth, "Soon you will lose control of your muscles, then your organs will begin to eat themselves, your skin will burn and break all on its own. And then, after what feels like an eternity of begging for release from that torture…"

_He will kill you…_

Nao shook her head, panicked at the inescapable emotions flooding her body. The more she tried to fight the connection she had with Ishiro, the more it was strengthened. The more she tried to protect him from herself, the more of a victim he became. No matter what she did now, that bond was already there, that string which tied her heart to his could not break… and in time would only grow into a poisonous vine that strangled everything it touched, "We shouldn't even be breathing the same air!"

"Why not? Just tell me what's going on! I'm not going to run away without getting an explanation, especially when you're saying all these weird things… You say being around you is going to kill me, but it's never made me feel so alive!"

_Damn you, Sokou… _Nao whispered furiously to the demon within her, _I swear, one day I will kill you. With my own bare hands I will kill you. Taking him from me, like you're about to do… like you already are doing, it will be the death of you. I promise._

"So…" Ishiro asked, determined for a reason, "Why?"

Nao inhaled deeply. _Goodbye…_

"Because I like you! That's why!"

Ishiro didn't have more than a second to hear the words before losing consciousness, though it was not from the Yonbi's poison, but from a powerful punch to the back of the head. The boy fell limply to the ground as Nao stared ahead, shocked by what just happened. The figure may have been cloaked in shadows, but she knew very well who it was.

"Mikoto? What are you doing here?" she was still crying, but the sight of her friend brought a glimmer of comfort.

"Nao, you need to take shelter and calm down," Despite her short stature, Mikoto lifted the boy over her shoulders, "I'm taking him to the hospital first, before this gets any worse, but I promise I'll come back for you."

"You… you would?"

Mikoto nodded firmly, "I'll meet you in the caverns. Go on, the toxin is beginning to spread."

* * *

Back in the auditorium, the grand festival dance was beginning to come to a close as well. What was once booming with energized students had slowly trickled down to a few groups of friends and a dozen couples performing one last dance together. Tate, in the former category, stood with his back against a wall and arms folded over his chest only half listening to the conversation his friends were having.

From what he gathered, they were all just trying to figure out what to do now, but he had something else on his mind. The boy's attention shifted back and forth between his friends and the dance floor. He tried to stop them, but his eyes were continually caught by the redhead farther away.

"Yeah, sure, I'll go," he muttered back to his group, looking away just one second too late.

With her hands embracing his back, Mai's lips had met with Reito's.


	7. Drowning

**A/N: Just to clarify, because I've gotten a few questions on this, yes I did delete this story before, however it wasn't completed. The only reason I deleted it was because I had edited it quite a bit and attempted to publish it as an original story. However, that did not work out and so I decided to put it back up as it's fanfiction form. I'm very sorry to everyone who lost their reviews/follows/favs on this story!**

**VII – Drowning**

"You can be so stubborn sometimes!" Youko scolded, albeit with a bright smile, as if she couldn't help but laugh through her frustration.

"You know you love it!" Midori teased back, allowing the woman to push her onto her back by way of holding both wrists above her head.

She caught her lover's lips with her own, grinning into the kiss and continuing to laugh along.

"Seriously, Midori, I need my keys!" Youko's hands wandered around the redhead's body, who simply took it all in.

"What makes you think I hid them on me?"

"So you'd made me strip search you just so I could get to work, maybe?"

"Mmmmmaybe," Midori quickly slid to the back of their bed, "Or maybe I just made you think that so you would strip search me anyway? Or maybe _this_ is a trick? Or maybe-"

"I get it, you fool!" Youko tackled her once again, this time wrapping her arms around her tightly, nuzzling into the woman's neck, "But remember this when you're hungry for something besides ramen later."

"There's places open at night. No reason we can't snuggle now," Midori returned the embrace and kissed along the woman's jawline.

"Hmm, aside from the fact that that's all we did last night and this morning?"

"So?" Midori grinned and locked her in a kiss.

The couple continued to roll about in the sheets, but something was different, Youko quickly noticed. Midori was always playful, but this… she found herself pinned under her more often than usual. The woman tried to smile through it, hoping it would pass, but her patience wore thin when her wrists were held up by her face. The redhead leaned in to kiss her once more, but Youko snapped her head to the side, denying her with a growl.

"What is it?" the woman on top settled to light kisses down the other's neck.

"Midori…" Youko practically snarled, "… Get Shukaku the hell off of me!"

She heard a muffled scoff and turned back to face her lover, or the body of her at least. The Ichibi's presence did frighten her, as much as she would claim to know Midori's level of control over the demon, it was still a demon. The being straddling her hips at this very moment had the power to turn the two of them to dust at will if it so wished. Instead, it did little more than grin at her annoyed expression.

"You caught me," Midori's voice was only mildly distorted, but her eyes were a foggy white, "But… just a little taste…" the unwelcome tongue was just a centimetre away from the woman's flesh when Midori rolled back and off the side of the bed, clutching her head.

Youko lay still on the mattress, huffing her breaths slowly and glaring at the ceiling, her mood having dropped considerably. It was, sadly, not an entirely uncommon occurrence. She knew better than to get involved in the struggle of wills between her girlfriend and the demon hosted within her body. There was nothing she could do but listen to the painful groans and wait for it to be over, hoping she would find the inner strength to hate the demon… not the woman.

"… Sorry…"

Youko felt her hand held tight and allowed their fingers to weave together. But it took a moment before she could bring herself to look Midori in the eyes again. However, she was relieved to see that they were in fact her own once more. The redhead leaned her torso over the top of the bed, resting her head on the sheets and reaching out to her solemn lover.

"Really… I'm sorry… I know you hate when that happens… I don't blame you…"

"I still love you," Youko reassured, "I always will… but… it's so easy to be taken advantage of by him when he lives inside you…"

Midori sighed, sadness in her eyes. There was one more thing she had to say, and even knowing Youko would get upset, this was the best time to be out with it.

"… I know where the Sanbi is…"

* * *

As scheduled, the day after the festival would be a weekend. And a weekend meant that Natsuki could enjoy her beauty sleep tangled in sheets and nothing more after a night of passionate escapades with her girlfriend. The warmth of the sun touched her skin to wake her ever so slowly, a good two hours after she normally would have had an alarm go off.

"Mm…" she hummed, keeping her eyes closed but enjoying the feeling of stretching all over the bed.

_Wait…_

She paused and sniffed around, inhaling the plethora of remaining scents and noticing that Shizuru was not amongst them.

Natsuki rubbed her face in attempt to wake a little quicker and sat up, allowing the sheet to fall freely off her chest; no one was around after all. Emerald eyes glanced around the room and the girl was nowhere to be found, all that remained was a small piece of folded paper on the kitchen counter next to a plate of breakfast food. Combing her fingers through her navy locks, Natsuki finally got herself out of bed and strode over to see just what was left for her.

"_Forgive me for not being here when you awoke, but I had some sudden business matters to attend to and didn't want to disturb you. Enjoy your breakfast, I will call you later. Love, Shizuru."_

A smile graced the girl's features as she dropped the note back where she had found it and looked at what deliciousness had been left for her on the plate. Shizuru's talents seemed to be endless, her cooking was just one of many, but right now it was the one Natsuki enjoyed most of all.

An hour – at most – later, Natsuki was dressed and walking downstairs to get back to her motorbike and go home. On her way through the dorms though, she passed by a familiar open room. Unknowingly, she slowed her pace before passing by the doorway, hesitant as to which action to take. She still was filled with curiosity, but would always be fiercely loyal to Shizuru as well. If she could just find one thing even slightly wrong with this new student she would let it go, but so far… nothing.

"Hey," the girl said, knocking softly on the open door.

"Oh, hi Kuga- Ah, Natsuki. How are you?" Mai asked, kneeling by the table and surrounding by textbooks.

"Oh, you're studying; don't let me bother you I was just passing by."

"Not at all!" the redhead's inner hostess took over, "I need a break anyway."

"Alright…" she was still a bit wary, in fact the less she found wrong with Mai, the more alert she forced herself to become in order to find whatever it was.

Her curious gaze fell onto the open notebooks on the table, noticing that they there mostly blank.

"Are you having some trouble there? I know I skip a lot but I'm not an idiot, I can help if you'd like."

"Oh no, it's fine," Mai quickly shuffled her books aside with a nervous twinge before settling into a series of deep breaths.

Natsuki, on the other hand, just raised an eyebrow – unsure of what to make of this. Looking more closely it seemed as though this girl was having a minor breakdown of some kind, but she wasn't the best at comforting. All she did was kneel down in attempt to be at face level, tilting her head and peering across the table.

"Hey… Are you alright?" Natsuki felt dumb for even asking.

"I'm just worried. Mikoto… she didn't come home last night. I know she's older than she seems, but still."

_Oh… right… Mai is connected to Mikoto, and Mikoto to Nao… I wonder…_

"Maybe she's with Nao?" try as she might, the distaste for the latter's name rolled off her tongue.

"She could be… but normally she would say something. I don't know, I guess I'm just over protective," she took another deep breath, finally looking up to meet Natsuki's eyes, "Wait, you know Yuuki-san?"

Natsuki scoffed.

"You don't like her?"

"Well, on our best days you wouldn't want to get in between us… I hate that whore, and the feeling's mutual."

"Oh…"

"Everything she does is just to get on my nerves. She hates my guts and I have no idea why, and at this point I don't care, she's just some dumb kid who takes pestering me to the extreme," Natsuki shot a glare up, "And don't get any ideas about trying to get us to be friends, I'm telling you now it won't work. She wouldn't go for it either."

"That wasn't it," Mai's expression fell lopsided, "Clearly you two go back way further than when I came to this school. But to be honest, I've only seen her once. The only one she spends time with is Mikoto."

"She always has, except recently she's gotten some poor guy caught up in her trouble. I feel bad for him, but what can you do?" Natsuki grumbled, "Never mind, honestly, I hate gossip, I just wanted to point out that we hate each other. So if that's a problem then-"

"Wait…" Mai's once-anxious air turned into one of mischievous laughter, "Are you saying we're friends?"

Natsuki choked on her words, fumbling like an idiot, "N-no I didn't mean- I was just saying-"

"You were trying to say that it could be a problem for you and I being friends," Mai was giddy.

"I wasn't!"

Mai continued to chuckle, unable to wipe the grin off her face as she saw the flustered side of the biker for the first time. The denial continued for a few more seconds until the redhead decided to put her new friend out of her misery.

"Don't worry, I like being your friend."

* * *

"Nao… the sun's up," the cat-girl whispered, petting the short hair of the girl's head on her lap.

"I know…" Nao continued to weakly claw at the dirt.

The two had spent the night hidden away in one of the caves along the mountainside. Neither had slept. And although Nao may have drifted off due to exhaustion a few times, she jolted awake soon enough. Her eyes ached from crying, and her limbs would still tremble with the mixture of sadness and rage she knew all too well.

"What happened to him?" she asked, as she had for hours.

"I told you," Mikoto's voice was not irritated in the slightest, but rather pitying for the girl's inability to accept the facts, "He was admitted for poison treatment, but because they don't know the source there's no way to cure it."

"They can't cure it anyway," Nao clenched her eyes shut, "Damn it! Talking about it is probably only making him get worse! But I can't stop feeling guilty!" The girl sat up with a start, pounding a fist into the stone wall which kept them safe from the outside, "… Anything… to make me forget him…"

Mikoto sighed, guilty in her own right, "There's nothing else you can do… Not even I could bring back those who die from Sokou's toxin, he's too strong."

"He's weak!" the redhead snapped, "He is the weakest bijuu! The most pathetic… cowardly…"

She was embraced once more, held in place and calmed by Mikoto's presence. Even if it was only one… there was still one person that Nao could always count on; and that thought was enough to let her touch ground again.

"… What do I do now, then?"

"Focus on what you can do… and the bigger things going on now."

Nao wiped the tears away, "What bigger things?"

"That feeling has only gotten worse lately. That storm a few nights back wasn't natural… someone made it."

"Who has that kind of power? Another jinchuuriki? But why would they do that so obviously?"

"I don't know why," Mikoto pondered it, "But the feeling that came from it…"

"In a word… Ominous."

"Exactly... Whoever it was… they were calling us."

* * *

"Did you really need me for this meeting, Kanzaki-senpai?" Tate grumbled, ruffling his caramel hair in a groggy daze.

He kept his stride up with the taller boy who, although just as tired, retained his more official aura. There was no one else present; even as they neared the council room it became clear they were the first ones to arrive.

"I'm sorry," Reito replied with a small yawn, "Shizuru-san called this meeting so suddenly I was worried we might need a lot of help suddenly. Only time will tell though."

"Did she say anything specific?" Tate tilted his head curiously as his question went unanswered.

Reito sighed with a lopsided expression as he opened the sliding door. While the girl in question did give details about the meeting, whether they would prove to make any sense was still up for debate. Until the student council would convene, he would keep the bits of information to himself.

"I wonder…" he muttered aloud, taking his seat at the desk nearest to the president's and allowing the silence to be.

Tate stood to the side of the door, relaxed in his posture yet dutifully as he always would. He let a few seconds pass, but found his glance always jumping back to the vice president. Every time his eyes would land on his uniform, his sleek black hair, his poised behaviour, he would wince and look back out the window on the other side of the room. The silence was too much now.

"So last night… You and Tokiha…"

"Ah yes, she is quite fun, isn't she?" Reito looked up, smiling at his friend as he recalled the festival.

Tate mirrored the expression, except devoid of emotion.

"Yeah," he looked down at the floor, "Yeah she is… So, are you two dating now or…?"

"We've never put a label on it, but if she would like to take it to that level I certainly wouldn't object."

"Mm," the underclassman could feel the muffled blow to his chest.

It was the same as last night. It was so minor and yet…

… _I feel like I'm falling… _He looked back to his superior once more. _No… drowning…_

Neither knew just how long the quiet lasted between them before Tate spoke again, holding his stare on the tiles beneath him.

"Take care of her then… Tokiha is- she's special."

* * *

"_The student council secretary?" Youko asked, sitting up quickly and looking at Midori who was still kneeling beside the bed._

"_Yeah, I've been watching the way she acts around the executive director."_

"_So? Maybe they're just dating? Besides, what does that have to do with anything?"_

"_The Sanbi is the only bijuu that requires two hosts, but they are one being," Midori crawled up to the ledge of the mattress, sitting on it with her forearms rested on her knees._

"_Isonade requires Samehada to live, they're energies are bound to each other. It's rumoured that Samehada can store up to five times the stamina Isonade has on a regular basis."_

_Youko sighed._

"_Again, what proof do you have that it's them? Or is this just going to be another mess like it was with the Rokubi?"_

"_Exactly why I'm going for the three-tailed demon instead of the six-tails. Even if things go wrong, it won't be nearly as drastic. And as for how I know, they're closer than a couple. I looked into their family history and they were always together, since infants, despite not being blood related. How often does that happen?"_

"_And…? You seem to have something more to say."_

"_The proof? Their adoptive family name, even though neither uses it, is Sengo. They are a secretive clan who have existed since the times of the ancient bijuu, and were the first ones to ever seal Isonade away. Since then they have been the keepers of the Sanbi, taking in the pair of children every time they are born."_

Midori's recollection from earlier that morning was fading into the back of her mind as she waited out of sight for the girls to come down to the beach. This was another observation she had made over the weeks since she arrived. It was a rare sight to see two girls feel safe enough to walk alone to a secluded area on the side of the highway in the middle of the night. But these two came into view hand in hand with carefree smiles.

_They're smart girls… They wouldn't do this if they weren't sure that they could defend themselves._

The woman approached slowly from the side, a harmless air about her as she watched the two girls play happily in the sand. Her focus remained on them until she got close enough to make them aware of her presence, then her gaze moved to the ocean.

"Sugiura-sensei?" Yukino broke away from her kiss with Haruka, flustered at being caught but kept still in the other girl's arms.

"Nice night, isn't it?" the redhead asked with a grin, looking back and forth between then horizon and the couple she had intruded upon.

"Yes, indeed," Haruka was not as naïve as her counterpart, immediately finding their teacher's actions suspicious, "What brings you here, Sugiura-sensei?" the blonde asked, poised and professional as always, but on the brink of frustration.

The woman closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath of the sea wind and causing a strong breeze to blow through the empty area. In fact it was a gesture to express just how secluded they were right now, one that Haruka picked up on, holding Yukino closer.

"A simple question…" the woman turned back to the pair seriously now, "Which of you is Isonade, and which is Samehada?"

Both girls stiffened with fright, unconsciously gripping tighter to each other's uniforms. They knew they were being hunted by Muramasa, but their teacher? And to come out so easily, she didn't seem to be an assassin.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," Yukino stuttered between deep breaths.

"Don't worry," Midori raised her hands defensively, "You don't need to hide. That's why I'm here, actually. I am the Ichibi's host."

This declaration forced Haruka into her guardian mode, quickly shoving herself in front of the brunette, about to shout something back at their teacher but was held back.

"Wait, Haruka-chan," she whispered.

"Why? She's just another who's come to kill us!"

"Whoa whoa, calm down," Midori interjected again, "I don't mean any harm… I just want to talk, because I know a way to break this curse."

She waited then, seeing the way the couple in front of her seemed to be mildly interested in what she had to say. They weren't fighting back like the others had, which gave her a slim bit of hope.

"If the demons fight out their war and get the winner they want, then they won't have use for us anymore and we can be free!"

"Who told you such a dumb idea?" Haruka spat back.

She didn't see the woman across from her as any superior right now. If Midori had come on the terms of a jinchuuriki, she would be treated in that manner, no other.

"Shukaku and I work together, it was his idea. But I'll be honest, none of the other hosts I've met took a liking to it, so I was hoping that maybe you two could help me?"

The blonde held her tongue, she felt herself compelled by Yukino's master power over her to remain quiet. The girl stepped out from behind her girlfriend's protective stance, watching Midori with curiously hopeful eyes.

"You… you've met other jinchuuriki?" she asked softly.

"Yes," her grin grew wide, "Three of them actually. You two can probably tell that we're all in this city, but I've come to find that we're all even in the same school!"

"What?" Haruka got in a word before Yukino followed up.

"Who are they?"

"Well, the Rokubi is Higurashi Akane, I believe she's a classmate of yours, Yukino-chan?"

The two girls were stunned with fright, however for different reasons. Yukino's thoughts were swarming with the fact that they now knew for certain they were surrounded by so many dangerous individuals. Not to mention what it would mean. Would they have to fight their friends? But if this were a chance to be free then…

She took a slow step forward, which pushed Haruka to the brink of her control. The blonde summoned enough of her own willpower to protect the girl she loved than obey Isonade. She gripped Yukino's arm tightly and glared fiercely into the deep green eyes across from them.

"You… You've just betrayed the trust of a jinchuuriki. I see through your tricks, Shukaku! You just want to start the fighting, you don't give a damn what happens to the people involved."

"Wha-what are you talking about," Midori chuckled nervously.

"You're just going around planting seeds of curiosity now, it's all part of your sick mind games. There's never been a way to save the jinchuuriki, if there were, they would have thought of it long ago. It's just your way of finally getting things started."

All of a sudden, a blast of wind and sand was thrown forward into the Sanbi pair in response to the outburst. The two girls were tossed onto their backs, Haruka being the first to look up and see that their teacher's eyes were now pure white. She was gone now, as the girl suspected, this had all been part of Shukaku's plan and sadly, the woman had fallen for it and got herself caught up in the battle.

"You were so quick to give up the other jinchuuriki's identity, who's to say you won't do the same to us?"

The blonde was fuming now, visibly so, raw energy steaming off her body as she stared down the other host. Truth be told: she was afraid. This enemy proved to be hostile in so many ways, and knowing their identity was the most dangerous in this brewing war.

_I have to… protect… Yukino!_

The sands around them rose up again in the massive gust of wind summoned by Midori, but it was for naught. The woman's forceful attack was a split second way from crashing down on the Sanbi pair when Haruka roared with all her might, desperate to protect the girl behind her by whatever means necessary… even if it meant using her body for a moment. Midori's cocky grin was wiped clean off her face when she saw what appeared ripping through her wall of wind and sand: a massive three-finned, three-tailed shark.

Haruka had poured all of her stored energy into Yukino's body at once, pushing her to the brink of transformation to end this fight before it would even begin. The attack was swift and effective, catching the Ichibi's host by surprise more than anything. The initial force from within her was enough to launch Yukino's, or rather, Isonade's body through the air towards his target.

The most Shukaku could do in the time given was transform Midori's body into an outer shell of sand, desperately hoping it would be a good enough defence against the jaws that crushed down around his body. Isonade bit down onto the lesser demon in mid jump, sliding across the sand and into the water. He struggled briefly as he continued to grow, swishing his large tail fins all over the beach until he could finally move completely into the ocean.

It was a race against each other now. The shark demon swam far out to the middle of the sea, growling more as he felt the tanuki attempt to grow to his full size while inside his mouth. Isonade thrashed and shook his head about, continuing to hold the upper hand in the water.

"I will drag you to the farthest depths, Ichibi!"

And he did just that. Neither Midori nor Shukaku stood a chance once he dove down, swimming so fast that the sand armour was turned to mud and broke apart from the woman's body. True to his word, Isonade reached the floor of the sea where he smashed Midori's body into the stones without remorse, leaving her there to drown and taking his retreat to the surface. It was just like a shark to be so to-the-point in his attacks. The three-tails would not waste time killing anyone, especially not the annoying tanuki who threatened to disturb the balance.

The beast's rage resonated through the small body of the girl who was now trapped inside him. A full transformation like this would make a full reversal of who was stuck in a cage. Yukino trembled in her mind, holding tight to her seal and wishing for it all to just be over. She never wanted to hurt anyone; she hated how vicious she could become the more Isonade took over. Just like the other eight… she hated this curse.

"Girl…" the shark's deep voice interrupted her choked sobbing, "The Ichibi has been dealt with, but you must keep me out of sight until Samehada recovers."

"I… I know…" she sniffled quietly.

"I will not be able to defend myself against another attack, and showing myself this early in the battle was untimely, however necessary."

Isonade's voice faded away into a whispering echo as his size shrunk down to that of a normal shark. He swam back to the beach, returning Yukino's body to her control and seeking shelter inside the confinements of her soul. The girl was only semi-conscious, floating in the waves that carried her back to the beach.

"Haruka…-chan…" she muttered, reaching out to the blonde as she crawled through the wet sand to reach her.

The girl's clothes had ripped apart during her transformation, but there was enough to salvage a piece to pull over her shoulders for warmth as she curled up beside the other girl. To anyone else, Haruka's breathing would have been dangerously slow, but Yukino knew better. The girl just needed to recover what she had lost so quickly.

"That was dangerous what you did just now…" the brunette petted the girl's cheek with the backs of her fingers, a smile slowly rising on her face, "But… very brave…"

Her olive eyes gently closed, physically exhausted from the ordeal and relieved that, at the very least, they were not going to be threatened any more. She thought that perhaps if this one even could be overlooked, maybe none of the others would begin to fight either. Of course Yukino wasn't certain, but it was that hope which calmed her into rest.

However, in the far distance, a figure was floating to the surface of the sea. Midori's body bobbed around, limbs hanging down in the water. She swayed around lifelessly for longer than any normal person could have survived. Her lungs had been filled with water, her bones crushed under the pressure of both Isonade's teeth and being thrown into the rocks lining the bottom of the sea. No human could have possibly recovered from it… But a jinchuuriki could.

_Why… don't they… _Midori coughed into the water, summoning all of her remaining strength to flip onto her back and at long last breathe some fresh air. _Why does nobody listen…?_


	8. Hajimaru

**A/N: Thank you all for the reviews, follows, and favs! I'm sorry for forgetting to upload yesterday!**

**VIII – Hajimaru**

Mai groaned as she sat down in her desk a few minutes before class started. She hadn't gotten the best sleep last night it was showing in her eyes. If just for a moment, she rested her head down on her folded arms to regain a little bit of energy, but her concentration was interrupted by the sound of a heavy back pack dropping to the floor. Restraining a whine, the girl opened one of her violet eyes and turn around only as much as she needed.

"Why are you so loud in the morning, Tate-kun?"

"Eh?" the boy blinked at her expression, taking a few seconds to notice just how exhausted she looked, "Whoa, are you okay?"

"I got no sleep last night…" she turned back to rest, "Mikoto had me going for hours…"

"Oh? So that's the kind of relationship you guys have?" Chie invited herself into the conversation, enticing some giggles from the other girl by her side as well as boy.

"I can't say I'm surprised!" Aoi added.

"What?!" Mai snapped her head up, "I meant I couldn't find her and was walking around campus forever!"

"Suuuuuure it does," the pair of girls continued their laughter together while Tate reached over to pat Mai on the back.

"Hey, be nice to Tokiha," he lowered his voice to a whisper, "You know what she's like when she's cranky!"

"Oh I give up!" Mai threw her hands up in defeat before slumping back down on the desk.

"No really," Tate turned back to the redhead, showing his genuine concern for her a little too clearly, "You look worse than I was yesterday morning."

"What happened yesterday?" Chie raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah… were you chasing a hyperactive middle schooler around the woods until three am?" Mai huffed.

"No, I was called to come in for an early student council meeting for nothing," he sighed, "Sometimes I think Kanzaki-senpai just likes to torture me… He said it was some big emergency plan, but then it was just him and the kaichou talking. Talk about pointless."

The redhead sulked further, "I still don't know what she doesn't like about me… Kuga-san hasn't even mentioned her during the few times we hung out."

"Well maybe that's your problem?" Chie noted, "The kaichou is extremely protective, even if she keeps her cool all the time."

Mai stared at her friend blankly.

"You're the one who told me to reach out to her, now you're saying that's the reason why the kaichou hates me?" she was seconds away from tearing out her hair.

"Why does it matter?" Tate added, rocking back and forth on the legs of his chair, "So she doesn't like you? It's not like you two would be best friends anyway. Just let it go."

"I know…" the girl sighed, "At least this conflict brought me closer to Kuga-san, who's actually a really nice person, even if she's distant at first. I'm glad to be her friend too."

* * *

The atmosphere was less than easy a few rooms down the hall as the brunette shakily opened her classroom door. Yukino was constantly on edge nowadays, aware that all of her worst, most dangerous enemies were lurking around every corner. What's more, she had to do it alone. Haruka was still too weak to get out of bed – or rather, the bath – but urged the younger girl to keep up appearances. Her deep breath did not calm her enough to stop her olive green eyes from darting to a specific girl in the back of her class.

_Higurashi Akane…_

Yukino whispered the girl's name in her mind, trying to pry her gaze away as she sat down at her own desk just a few seats away. She tried to quell her fears knowing that, much like herself, the Rokubi's host was a quiet and shy girl who was rather harmless as a person.

_But the demon of lightning holds an elemental advantage over Isonade… Not to mention he's twice the age of the three-tails… If she and I were to ever fight, I don't stand a chance without Haruka-chan._

The brunette shuffled through her bag and set her textbooks up neatly at the side of her desk, hoping that at the very least; her routine activities would be enough of a distraction until Haruka regained her energy.

_It'll be fine…_

But she was wrong. The sound of her stack of pens falling to the floor echoed above all the other classroom chatter. All the students turned in the shy girl's direction, staring at her trembling body with utmost curiosity.

_No… No…_

She gasped in her mind, eyes wide at the redhead who waltzed through the door like nothing.

"Hey class!" Midori greeted with her usual grin, although when her eyes fell onto the brunette they flickered with slightly more sinister intentions.

"I-" Yukino tried to speak through her fear.

"Hm? What is it, Yukino-chan?" the woman tilted her head and leaned back on the chalk board.

"I… I have student council matters to attend to. May I please be excused?" in all her panic, the girl had stood up before her request had been granted, earning a sharp glare from her teacher.

"Have a seat. I just came from the student council room and there was no one there," she grinned for only the girl to see, "Maybe you got your days mixed up?"

"N-no, I just-" she realized the trap she had been put in.

"_Damn that tanuki!" Isonade shouted in her mind, "He plans to expose you to the Rokubi!"_

_I know…_

She breathed as the seconds seem to go by all too quickly.

_I know… Whether I stay or run it will show that I'm afraid of her! Akane-chan already knows who she is and now I- I just! I don't know!_

"F-forgive me, sensei. You're right. That meeting is tomorrow," the brunette whispered meekly, sitting back down in her chair, her shaky fingers reaching down to pick up her pens.

"Not a problem," Midori flashed her trademark smile, however it seemed to lack the lustre it used to have, "Now, let's continue today's lesson! Everyone open their books to chapter eight and we'll go through the homework questions."

"Yes, sensei!" the other students agreed, adoring their favourite teacher all around the two brunettes who did their best and restraining their emotions.

* * *

"Akira-kun? Why aren't you in class?" Takumi groaned from his bed, looking over at the other boy across the room.

Akira grumbled a few words to himself as he continued to stare at the figure he was sculpting, "I'm an artist, I don't always need to go to class. Sometimes it's more beneficial for me to stay in and work on something if I feel inspired."

"Oh," the weaker boy rolled onto his side to get a better look at his roommate's project, "What is it?"

Akira gently carved around the surface of the clay figure, finishing up one of the minor touches before holding it out for Takumi to see, "Nothing special, just an animal figurine," he pulled it back and continued to work on it, often glancing over to the other boy, which did not go unnoticed.

Though red from his illness, Takumi's voice gave away his blush. He smiled and looked up at the ceiling, fondly remembered the time they had spent together during the festival. The boy decided to let it go in silence. Although he would usually enjoy teasing Akira about his subtle way of caring, he chose to not ruin the nice moment that they shared now. Takumi could feel the boy's glance fall on him often, reassuring him that he would be safe, protected; that should anything worsen with his recovering illness, Akira would be there for him.

* * *

The redhead strode through the halls of Fuuka Academy with uncharacteristic quiet. Her hands were shoved into her jacket pockets and eyes angled down to the tiled floor. Her heart was breaking apart, and surrounding herself with the lively students was all she could do to stop from bursting into tears. Despite the fact that she hadn't been home since her encounter with the Sanbi pair, Midori walked her habitual path to the library.

"Midori!"

The woman heard the familiar, comforting voice when she appeared in the doorway and allowed herself to be embraced tightly by her lover.

"Youko…" she whispered softly, lifting one hand to the back of the other woman's head to hold her close.

"I hate you!" she shouted, "How could you not come home if you were still alive! I've been so worried!"

"… I know… I'm sorry…"

Midori stood there, letting the woman cling to her as tightly as she needed while giving back all she could right now. Her gaze never faltered from the blank wall in front of her, she couldn't bring herself to look Youko in the eye once she stepped back briefly.

"Midori…?"

The woman in question expelled a deep sigh and walked over to one of the nearby chairs where she slumped down, exhausted by her painful emotions. Youko kept a careful watch on her, sitting back on the book-covered table and trying to get a good look at her girlfriend's face.

"Youko… I'm sorry. I couldn't keep my promise…"

"Well, you know it bothers me when you don't check in about this stuff… but as long as you're safe I'm thankful-"

"No… Not that…"

Youko tilted her head curiously, anxiety and sadness creeping further into her expression.

"When we got together… I promised that I would be in full control of Shukaku. I couldn't keep it…"

"… What are you saying?"

"Last night, I was nearly killed by Isonade because Shukaku took over my actions… after they left and I regained consciousness, I didn't know it, but I made my way to the hospital. I wouldn't have remembered it, but Shukaku did. He was looking for the boy who was hospitalized during the festival: Yamazaki Ishiro."

"Oh yeah… the boy who broke out in hives and then fell terminally ill… They still haven't found a cure. But why does he matter?"

"They haven't found a cure because it's Sokou's poison. Shukaku knew this but he didn't tell me… there's so much he didn't tell me…" her deep green eyes began to well up, no matter how collected she had been throughout the morning, "Shukaku used my memory to pinpoint who he was with at the dance… the middle school girl, she's Sokou's host."

"Which one?"

"I don't know her name, but I know what she looks like. Which means he does too… So I can't keep my promise…"

"Midori, what are you saying? What's going on?"

"I'm going after the Yonbi tonight... I can't control it. The executive director, Samehada, she was right. Shukaku…" she clenched her eyes shut, "He's been using me since the start! He's being tricking me into starting fights with the other jinchuuriki to get them on edge and more aggressive. It's the only way the youngest, weakest demon could win this battle: getting the others to kill each other first."

Youko was being overcome with tears now too. Midori just sat there, rigid, as her shoulders were grabbed and shaken lightly.

"No…" the woman choked out, "You said we'd be together forever! This was our big adventure! This was our life together!"

"I'm sorry…"

"No!" she shouted, standing up stiffly and slapping Midori hard across the face, "Don't you have any idea what you're doing to me?! Don't you even care?"

The jinchuuriki didn't even lift a hand to her cheek, aware that she deserved far worse punishment than that, "Believe me, Youko… I would care about you more than anything in the world, even my own life… If I had the capacity to care at all…"

"So that's it then? You're leaving me?" Youko's fists shook at her sides, breaths heaving with enraged heartbreak.

"All these years we've been together, I've been keeping a demon caged inside me, trying to live my own life… It's taken all of me, all of my love for you, to be strong enough to do that. But I'm just a mortal… And this whole time he was lying low on purpose. I got too confident, but now that I feel his real strength I know… I was never in control, Shukaku just hadn't been trying."

"And this means we're over? You lost, so I lose too? What about that love then! Where is it now that it can't stop him!" the woman was frantic in her sadness, rushing over to Midori and kissing her feverishly with all her anger, "Just keep loving me!" she shouted between kisses, pretending that the woman whose face she held so close now was anything but stoic.

"I'm sorry," Midori finally put a stop to the moment of passion by holding onto Youko's shoulders, "He's beaten me. I'm gone."

"I don't believe you!" tears streamed down the woman's face.

But she had to. Midori made it very clear the moment she stood up and walked out that door that there was no more love to be had there. Her heart had indeed been split into pieces, and what was clawing its way out was a demon of the winds. Fickle and tactless, the tanuki made his way into the woman's consciousness from the inside.

"_Listen woman, just follow my direction. A bijuu dies tonight!"_

* * *

Dark clouds covered the night, floating ominously above Nao's head as she stood at a rooftop's edge. She looked down at the vehicles and pedestrians roaming the city of Fuuka, all mere insects from up here. Her red hair waved in the wind, gently batting at her cheek as she stared. It was a long way down. _If only…_

She stepped ever so slightly further off the edge, narrowing her gaze at the pavement.

"Oh my, what have we here?" a familiar, albeit surprising voice came from the other side of the roof, urging Nao to turn around and face an older woman: her teacher.

"Huh?" the girl didn't even care for formalities at this point, not that she had much in the past, but her empty eyes made it clear she cared for nothing at the moment.

"I'm sorry," Midori sighed, looking over at her student while immediately cloaking her two arms in sand, taking the form of the tanuki's limbs. Both the apology and transformation shocked Nao's attention enough to elicit a wide eyed gasp. This had come out of nowhere, just a few seconds ago she was pondering her thoughts alone, and now her life was being threatened by her teacher? It didn't make sense.

"You…" the girl snarled, "You're one of us too?"

"Yeah," Midori answered, her pure white eyes complimenting her demonic arms, "Which is why I need to do this."

Nao grit her teeth, breathing deeply as she watched in awe at the way the woman's hands and arms had completely grown into large masses of sand, sprouting sharp obsidian talons. The winds had picked up to a ferocious speed as well. The only thing keeping the girl in place was her supernatural strength as she lifted her arms in front to block the gusts pelting at her from either side. The last thing she saw was a single tail of swirling dust and debris from behind her teacher's back.

"It's nothing personal. I'd never envy the Yonbi's host, but for Shukaku to live, Sokou has to die."

Nao eased for a split second, the storm brewing around her seemed no heavier than a breeze in the time that thought surfaced. She may not have been able to kill Sokou by jumping off a building, but another bijuu? Tears rolled from the girl's eyes, knowing the demon had already followed her train of thought and was now thrashing within her.

_Damn it! _Nao cursed, eyes shut as she tried to hold back the four-tails. A vile mist seeped from her pores, but nothing more. She would not let Sokou out of his cage, no matter how much he fought for his survival, _You will stay put and die here with me! You selfish monster!_

And just like that a dark silhouette flew through the air. Shukaku had launched himself forward, brutally impaling the girl with his claws and tossing her over his back, leaving her to the winds. With a cocky grin, he perched over the rooftop's ledge.

"That was an easy defeat," the Ichibi's distorted voice came from the woman's mouth, swaying his tail side to side, confident in his victory. That was until he heard _someone else_ behind him.

"You…" the voice snarled, prompting Shukaku to turn around and his breath to hitch, "I'll kill you!"

The one-tailed tanuki glared across the rooftop to the second foe to show herself. Kneeling with an unconscious Nao in her arms was Mikoto, clinging tightly to the redhead. Her golden eyes shone bright with her own strength, while thick coils of black energy wrapped around her whole body.

"Tch… Why would you stop me?" Shukaku growled, growing grotesquely out of Midori's long-gone human body.

"Because… you are hurting people I love!" Mikoto roared, dropping the girl she held and falling forward onto all fours. Her two braids were lifted by the whirling energy and laid over her back where they grew out as two black tails. More than ever, the girl was becoming a cat, truly revealing herself as the Nibi.

"Nekomata," Shukaku growled again.

He watched fearfully as the large feline's back claws accidently ripped off a chunk of the building, causing a throng of screams from the people below. However there was hardly enough of the innocent girl left to as much as glance in that direction. With eyes narrowed on his prey, Nekomata pounced.

The cat demon sunk his claws into the flesh-like sand, pushing the tanuki into the fragile concrete. The latter hissed in pain and moved to swing his tail around to give the Nibi a solid blow to the side, and while it worked, he was pulled along as well and the two bijuu went tumbling onto the adjacent roof. The high rise building swayed with the force, but would not fall just yet.

_Good… _Mikoto sighed in relief within her consciousness, though only for a second before a massive fist of sand punched straight into Nekomata's ribs. The feline howled a sound so evil, death itself had felt pain. Again and again the tanuki thrashed, pounding his claws wildly into the monster to keep it from rising against him. But the overconfident Ichibi would have his victory foiled by the cat demon. Fangs sunk deep into his host's ankle, as he had carelessly left the lower half of her body devoid of transformation. Eyes flashed to the woman's human colour only for a split second as the tanuki faltered back, giving Nekomata the advantage.

In a flash it was over. Death was faster than the wind, and took down the one-tailed demon in a single bite to the back of the neck. Nao's eyes had shot open, irises shaking as they focused on the sight across from her. Time froze in the worlds of the jinchuuriki, all of whom were compelled to face what had just happened at the center of all things. Across all of Fuuka city the remaining eight felt themselves uncontrollably stand alert, unable to breathe.

First blood had been spilled. And as Nekomata's form retreated within Mikoto's body, the sand around Midori crumbled into shapeless dust and was caught in the last breeze to be felt in the still night.


	9. Mujina

**IX – Mujina**

Golden eyes watched protectively over the sleeping redhead. Mikoto sat in solemn thought at Nao's bedside, her torso bent over, elbows rested on her knees and hands pressed to her face in worry. Her gaze was focused on the girl's chest rising and falling with each breath, knowing what manner of toxin was released on each exhale. That horrid poison which tortured everything it touched, including the very host it was contained in. Everyone… except Mikoto. The girl's eyes shut tightly, holding back another recurring set of tears, but snapped to attention when she heard an uncharacteristically soft voice from the one lying before her.

"… I felt it…" Nao whispered, eyes still peacefully closed, "I felt death… it was… beautiful…"

Mikoto blinked, surprised by the choice of words. Her friend had always been brash and gruff in her descriptions, but in this rare occasion, she was showing what she truly felt in her heart. Her pure emotions put into words.

"For about a minute or so I got to know what it was like to not be bound to Sokou. I was so happy I wanted to cry. The pain I felt from that attack was nothing compared to that happiness, that freedom."

She lifted an arm to tightly cover her eyes. Her breaths hitched and voice squeaked, teeth grinding.

"… How long will it be until I can feel like that again?" she choked on her torment.

Mikoto couldn't pull herself away. She had to tough it out, witnessing the consequences of her actions.

"I'm sorry!" the girl wrapped herself up, bending over her knees and hugging her head tight. Nao peeked out at her, "I'm sorry I was so selfish… I- I just…" she looked into the single green eye staring at her, "I didn't want to lose you."

Nao simply muttered a grunt of agreement, but did not look away, choosing to listen more to Mikoto's explanation.

"Last night, when I saw what happened to you I… I wasn't thinking. I only felt this incredible sadness at the thought of losing you. Those minutes that you were free from Sokou, I only felt crushed by the thought of what I would do without you. I had to do everything in my power to keep you close to me, even to the point of using Nekomata's ability to manipulate death and bring you back. I was so selfish!"

Mikoto recoiled, hiding her face in shame and fear of the other girl's reaction. She was torn between regretting her actions and feeling relief. Nao was alive, she was with her, and at the time she felt that's all that would matter. But now, having heard the way the girl spoke of her release… she couldn't help but feel like she had made a horrible mistake.

"… I love you, Mikoto," Nao whispered, shocking the girl into sitting up straight and gently taking one of her hands into her own.

"I…" she was at a loss for words.

"You are my one true friend," Nao smiled, another rare sight for this morning which eased Mikoto's stiffness into a smile of her own.

Nao then rolled her head back into the pillow and stared at the ceiling, darker thoughts returning to her stream of consciousness as she gripped the hand even tighter. Happy as she was to be cared for, a feeling that rivaled her sense of freedom, the problems of their world were more present than ever. Not only was she still alive, meaning that somewhere in the hospital Ishiro would have to continue fighting for his life, but it was the first kill amongst their kind. It was not going to be taken lightly by anyone.

"Are you sure she's dead?" Nao asked, and her answer came in the form of the TV being turned on and set to the news.

The redhead sat up and watched as the reporter went on about the unusual destruction of buildings and the dead woman who appeared to suffer no fatal injuries, despite being at the center of the debris.

"So that's it then… It really has started…"

* * *

"_It is uncertain what could have caused this scale of damage to the two buildings without bringing more attention. A few witnesses claim they'd seen some kind of monster jumping between the rooftops, while others insist there were black fire coming from the scene. There was fire damage to the premises, but no chemicals that would create an abnormal flame."_

Youko looked on, standing in front of her TV with the phone in her hand and arms folded over her chest. She was heartbroken, not by this, but by the events that transpired the day before. This, she knew was coming. A long time coming.

"_The woman found at the scene remains unidentified, but there is no clear sign of what caused her death. If anyone has any information, please call the number on your screen."_

"… Hi," Youko spoke, her depression evident as she lifted the phone to her ear, "Yes, I know the woman. We were colleagues. No, she has no family." She pulled out a paper set on her nightstand. Reading over it one more time, "I have her will, and she named me as her next of kin. Yes, I will bring her ID with me… Thank you."

The woman dressed quickly, still with a blank expression in regards to what she would have to do next. In all honesty, she hadn't yet decided on her emotions. And in fact was rather curious as to why she wasn't sadder right now. Perhaps because it truly was an expected outcome, or perhaps she was still too full of anger to process that her love really was gone. First and foremost, she would have to take care of Midori's final wish.

Along with a folder containing her and Midori's ID, the will, and various other proofs of connections between the two, was a kettle. Youko had never carried it before, but was not surprised by its weight, given what it had to hold. Part of her foolishly believed she would never have to use it, but another part was glad she really had been paying attention the day Midori had given it to her. If anything was going to make it right, it would be this artefact under Youko's control.

The woman sat in the back of the cab, staring out at the ambivalent city around her as the instructions replayed in her mind.

"_Youko, I have a confession to make…" the redhead grinned sheepishly, obviously holding something behind her back._

"_Oh? What is it?"_

"_Well… remember when we met? Remember what it was your excavation team was trying to find?"_

"_Yes?" the woman arched an eyebrow when she saw the elusive item held out right before her eyes. __Her first reaction was to leap out and grab it, but it was quickly held out of reach._

"_Heh, I guess I was right?"_

"_Where did you get that?" Youko stared at it intently, but calmed to assure Midori it would be safe if she brought it closer for inspection._

"_This is the Antler Teakettle… from the time of the bijuu. Thousands of years old. It was the first item used to seal Shukaku, but no one has had the strength to use it since the first time it was done."_

"_Huh? Why not? Why seal it in people if there is an object like this that can hold its spirit?"_

"_They aren't exactly being 'sealed' in people so much as the demons need a soul to merge with. A jinchuuriki's body is their own first, the bijuu's second. The demon has no way of remaining in the physical world unless they can share – and eventually take over – a human body. It takes a tremendous about of magical power to seal a bijuu into something that doesn't have a spirit of its own to merge with, no one's possessed that strength for years. Those arts have almost disappeared completely. But that's when they relied on pure magic to do it."_

_Midori smiled and placed the kettle on the table next to her, then took Youko's hands and looked deep into her eyes._

"_Do you love me?"_

"… _With all my heart," Youko smiled._

"_Then you can do it."_

Tears welled up in the woman's eyes, replaying the rest of Midori's words to herself as she got out of the vehicle and walked towards the Fuuka City morgue. During the whole time she spoke plainly of the formalities with city officials, police officers and doctors, she reminded herself of the instructions.

"_A bijuu's root in someone's body is way stronger than a normal person's soul. Even if it seems like they're dead, and there is no way for the body to be revived, the spirit will still linger. And until it finds a new host, its spirit will still be in the body, paralyzed for years until it can emerge. And when it finally does… well… It's gonna kill even more people until someone is strong enough to merge with it." __Midori's eyes began to water, _"_When he found me… I knew I had to do something. I may have been just a stupid kid back then, but once I found out that monsters like this were real, how could I let him roam free?"_

"_Heh, that sounds like you," Youko smiled sadly._

"_Shukaku took me over. Took my memories, my family, my identity… But I wasn't going to let go. I wasn't going to let him kill me, because then who knows who else he would kill along the way. Someone had to stop him. Someone had to stop the bijuu!"_

"May I have a few minutes alone with her?" Youko asked the supervising doctor, who gave her a sympathetic nod and left the room.

The woman stood over the table, using all her strength to prevent hyperventilating right then and there.

"_Do you love me?"_

Those words wouldn't leave her alone. Even as she pulled out the kettle and placed it on Midori's cold, stiff body. She closed her eyes, finally reaching the inevitable point of sadness which had been suppressed for the past twenty-four hours.

"I do love you! I'll always love you!"

She quickly reached a hand out over the kettle, breathing deeply and grounding herself for the force of spiritual energy that resonated from her prayer. Her prayer that assured Midori she was loved, that she would make things right for her sake… and that proved just how much she had been willing to understand someone so different.

"_Shukaku is connected to me, and I'm connected to you. If I can hold onto that connection, you can use your will over my soul to drag him into the sealing process."_

Winds blew around the body, under Youko's control now as she guided not one, but two strong souls into the ancient item. She winced and cried, feeling the pain of her lover and the pure evil of the demon bound to her soul. And finally, she completed the ritual with the deepest sobbing she had ever done in her life, kneeling beside the corpse, cradling the kettle in her arms.

"You always wanted to be a hero…!"

* * *

A week's time had passed since the first jinchuuriki had fallen. Tension seemed to hover above the entire city until today when the sun spontaneously shone through the overcast clouds. Just in time for the Fuuka Academy athletic festival, there was a break in the hyper vigilance of the remaining eight. The grounds were set up with all sorts of activities, along with the carefree students enjoying their day outside after the dreadful weather that stuck around way too long.

Mai had chosen to stay with the group of friends she had made from her class with Mikoto clinging tightly to her back. She had never participated in a field day on such a large campus, and it was the first time she really saw the whole student body in one shot. There were so many people here which it made her even more nervous about getting lost.

"Tokiha! Come on! Let's get a shot at the basketball court before it gets too packed!" the lone boy in their group called, waving from a few metres away.

"Good idea, Tate-kun!"

The smile on her face was enough to give Chie and Aoi a moment to consider it and giggle at what they believed was an interesting development. Each whispering to the other:

"But what about Kanzaki-san?"

"Who knows?" Chie shrugged and adjusted her glasses, "I still think there's something we don't know about her and Mikoto. Love is strange."

"I heard that!" and out of nowhere, a half-empty water bottle was flung at Chie's head.

The latter caught it with a hearty chuckle and took a drink before grabbing the brunette's hand and following after her classmates. The day was just starting, but the five of them spent the time hopping from game to game, mingling with other students and all in all just having a good time. After a few hours, about the time that they were starting to get hungry, the group split in two with Chie and Aoi taking Mikoto with them – snickering all the while – and leaving Mai and Tate to go look for a good place to sit and eat.

"The fields are really packed today, I don't know if we'll find a free spot any time soon," the boy said, raising a hand over his eyes to shield them from the sun as he peered around to the different relaxing areas.

"I might go check on Takumi," Mai pondered aloud, blinking at the look she got from him, "What?"

"What did we talk about yesterday?" he stood proudly with his arms over his chest, unfazed by her sigh.

"Not to be such a clingy sister…"

"You've gotta let the boy grow up, he's trying to make his first real friends but he can't do that if you're always hovering around him."

"I know," Mai smiled, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear, "It's just a hard habit to break. He's the only family I have left, and I still worry about his health." The boy's playful mannerisms drifted away when he heard her voice deepen to a more serious tone, "There have been times before when it looked like he got better but then… something always happened. I know it's different now because he's had his surgery but I don't think I can ever feel completely safe."

"I had no idea…"

None of the yelling and sports whistles blowing could interrupt their focus. And Mai's emotions were somehow getting the better of her right here in the middle of her school's athletic festival.

The second she shut her eyes, holding back her tears, she felt herself pulled back by her wrist and out of the way of the crowd. She had to open them again, if anything just to see where she was going, but all she saw was the strong back of the boy in front of her.

_Huh…?_

They stopped after a few feet, settling in the shade of a single tree, "I'm sorry, Tokiha… I didn't know you'd already been scared like this before."

The flustered girl had suddenly composed herself again, not wanting to make too much of a scene in the first place. She raised her hands and shook them frantically in front of herself while trying to deny that she had gotten upset, but the next few words from Tate stuck with her.

"But… You still have to let him go. Because if you don't, it's like saying you don't believe he can make it. I know it can be hard to see, but by always taking care of him it'll eventually get him thinking he can't do it on his own. If you can't believe in the surgery, then you'll have to believe in his strength."

"Tate-kun…" Mai had never heard him speak like this, and was surprised by his seriousness quite honestly.

He looked up at her now, smiling lopsided and rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment, "If you give him some space I bet he'll be really happy to show you how strong he is now, thanks to you. Hah-?"

The wind was only slightly knocked out of him from the force of the girl's embrace. His heart was pounding in his chest, and Tate's blush was spreading rapidly. What's more, it seemed like an eternity before Mai said anything, but at long last the silence was broken with a simple, but heartfelt:

"Thank you."

* * *

Meanwhile, the boy in question was comfortably enjoying his day off of classes in the comfort of his dorm room. Still cautious about his health, Takumi would be skipping most activities which involved physical exercise for some time, but that didn't stop him from having fun. With a grin on his face, he moved gracefully about the kitchen, preparing a nice meal for Akira when he returned. His roommate, being the complete opposite in terms of physical potential, would certainly be hungry after a long day of races and sports.

"Ah... This is nice," the boy hummed and fell back on his bed, listening attentively for the sound of boiling water.

When he opened his eyes, Takumi let his head fall to the side, inadvertently looking over at Akira's neatly folded and tucked bedspread. A soft chuckle resonated from the boy's lungs, happy that he had gotten roomed with someone who was at least as neat and tidy as he was. Even as a sculptor, Akira never left a mess.

"Huh?" his attention fell onto a small box peeking out from under his roommate's bed.

Takumi didn't move yet, but narrowed his focus on the intricately detailed carvings into the stone. His ears perked at the sound of the pot in the next room, but he knew he could leave it be just a little longer. Just a few more minutes to investigate this strange box. A part of him felt he shouldn't. Akira was always so secretive and this was clearly meant to be hidden, but that's what was pulling Takumi forward. He now knelt beside the other boy's bed, reaching for the item which had him entranced.

"_Eh…? What?"_

"What is it?" Takumi mused aloud, opening the box to find a hand-sized sculpture.

"_Ugh! What's happening?"_

The boy picked it up, inspecting the figurine. It seemed so strange; it was a human surely but with the features of…

_What is it? A raccoon? No… A badger maybe?_

Suddenly, the sound of the pot lid rattling against the metal startled Takumi into dropping the sculpture haphazardly back into its box. He shoved it back under Akira's bed as quickly as possible to attend to the mess in the kitchen.

* * *

Amidst a vigorous dodge ball match, Akira had begun to feel slightly off. His awareness of his surroundings peaked for a second or two, but after a second too many he froze on the spot, clutching his arm.

"Ugh! What's happening?" he grumbled to himself.

Unfortunately, standing still left him open to be the target of a throw, the other students taking full advantage of his moment of weakness to get rid of one of the best players.

_Crap! _The boy couldn't move in time and was hit full on the face. A few whispers surrounded him, but nothing could be heard over the sound of his heart beating, _No… NO!_

Akira immediately knelt down, a hand over his face as he felt his very skin crumble like dust.

"Whoa, sorry, are you okay man?"

"Stay back!" Akira shouted, halting their concerned advances, _Why is this happening? Why is it breaking?!_

"Hang on, we'll get a nurse."

"Don't! Just leave me alone! Don't follow me!" his voice cracked to a higher pitch for a few words, but it wouldn't matter.

He had to escape. The hand that covered his breaking face was starting to disintegrate as well, all he could do was hide. And that's exactly what he did; leaving the other students behind, Akira fled as fast as he could into the nearby forest, confident that he had at least scared enough of them not to follow him.

However, this outburst did not go unnoticed.

As one of the many supervisors of this event, the student council president was keeping a watchful eye on all the students. But her glace fell on this one in particular. Shizuru's breath stopped dead when her sharp eyes caught sight of what was happening in the distance. Maybe to the average kids it seemed like nothing more than a temperamental outburst, but the girl knew what she saw: that boy's very form breaking apart from around him, completely out of control. That was clay falling to the ground, and a shattering transformation.

_Kaku!_

Shizuru snarled in her mind, abandoning her post without much concern from others. Most of whom assumed she would use her position as an authority figure to get Akira back into the festival, or something along those lines. When it fact it was quite the opposite.

_I finally found you Shichibi! Your transformation won't hold up forever!_

A sinister grin formed on Shizuru's lips as she followed into the forest, determined to not let the most elusive of her enemies get away this easily. While the other bijuu posed a threat with power or abilities of magic and strength, the girl had never forgotten about the seven-tails and its natural powers of shape shifting.

_I'm impressed you've stayed hidden this long. But I will not let you get away!_

Eyes shone crimson and her footsteps disappeared.

_I'm sorry, but this is war. I will not hesitate to protect Natsuki from anyone!_

Akira had been running for quite some time, constantly looking back to see no one behind him, but his gut insisted otherwise. No matter what his eyes told him, he knew he was being followed. But the fact that they were going unnoticed just made it even more dangerous.

_I can't fight now!_

The boy gripped his arm, trying to keep the clay in place but it was pointless, he no longer had any control over the earth which covered his body. And then, when he checked back one last time while cursing at the trail of mud he was leaving behind, the predator showed herself.

"SHIT!" Akira dove to the side as fast as he could when he saw the massive, red-eyed snake leap out of the bushes.

He rolled to a stop but had to be even quicker on his feet to escape the demonic creature. A quick jump into the tree only gave a momentary rest before Shizuru made another jump, fangs ready to bite the middle-schooler in half but once again caught nothing but air.

As he dropped back to the ground, Akira's eyes gaped wide as he took in the sheer size of this creature. Not that he didn't know it was one of the jinchuuriki before, but this was no ordinary snake. He watched as it hissed and coiled around the branch, its length almost matching that of the tree, and its width just barely smaller than a human's. What's more, he knew that this was nothing compared to what the real snake demon would be.

_This jinchuuriki is conscious… this is how powerful she is when tapping into the demon's power for her own use. I have to-!_

And he did the only thing he could. On Shizuru's next attack, she dove down from the tree towards her prey, certain she had it this time only to get a mouth full of dirt. Akira had escaped underground, burrowing deep and using his control of the element to reinforce the barrier between him and the surface. It was natural for the badger demon to navigate the ground, allowing Akira to claw out a pathway with one hand while guarding with the other.

Shizuru hissed again as the rest of her body dropped down from the tree and wasted no time in rabidly attempting to tear through the earth. The snake wouldn't let up her attacks, ramming her body against the ground and seeing just how far her fangs would make it. In her frustration, she was tempted to go further, knowing full well that she could rip the academy grounds to shreds if she wanted, but hesitated on the knowledge that that would put her in a position to be caught.

_This will do for now. I know who he is, but he hasn't seen who I am. And there is no certainty that he will strike at Natsuki first. No… Kaku will probably want to stay hidden unless I fall to the others._

With a hefty sigh, the serpent coiled up and stood, retuning to a human shape. Shizuru stood there, alone in the wooded area quietly contemplating her situation with the bijuu. That was until she looked down and pressed a palm to her face.

"Ara… I forgot… I lost my clothes along the way."

* * *

"Damn it… Damn it!" Akira, having finally rose above ground outside the dorm building was continually placing more and more dirt on his body.

_Pull it together! Just get back to your room! _It was fortunate that today – being host to a large number of outdoor activities – the school residences were practically empty. But that's when it hit him, _Takumi! You touched it, didn't you?_

The boy gripped his crumbling face tightly, trying to make the most of the materials he had. It was no clay, but earth from the ground would have to do for now. Bounding up the stairs, he wasted no time in slamming through his bedroom door, startling the boy inside.

"Akira-kun?" the brunette gawked, worried about his friend's frantic appearance until he was roughly shoved aside by the latter darting towards his bed.

"No! You opened it!" Akira turned around sharply, revealing the dire situation directly to the other boy.

He rose quickly and grabbed Takumi by the collar, shoving him down on the floor. A demonic snarl emanated from his clenched teeth. It had to go according to plan; this was the risk of being Kaku's host.

"Should anyone see me, I'll have to," he lifted an arm high, shifting one hand into a form with large claws, "I have to kill anyone who sees me!"

Takumi stared up; frightened for his life, but met eyes with the person he trusted so much. He knew he would always be too weak to fight anyone, and in part had accepted any fate that would befall him from the second he ended up on his back. But now, as he laid there helpless, with his best friend kneeling over him ready to strike, their eyes locked. Takumi could see it in that moment, just what exactly Akira had been hiding. He may have known it was beyond his full understanding, but as the final pieces of clay fell from Akira's head, revealing hair far longer that his neatly kept short cut, Takumi saw his friend's real surface.

Staring down at him now was a girl, tears and bits of clay falling onto his face. A girl who still had not struck him, she was waiting for something it seemed, a cue of some kind from within that simply never came.

"Akira-…kun…" Takumi took a chance, whispering her name and offering a smile.

It was not wasted.

_I can't… I… _Akira choked, _I love him!_

In an instant the girl's arm returned to normal and she fell, exhausted, onto the boy. She continued to growl and sob, pained by her own vulnerability now that so much had been seen by a person. Yet this was one person, if any, that she believed would keep her secret. And who she believed would honestly never harm her. And with the same thoughts, Takumi did not speak either, not moving any more than it took for him to hold her tightly in his arms.


	10. I Promise

**X – I Promise**

"The bijuu…?" Takumi asked, now sitting at the low coffee table with a cup of tea in his hands.

"Yes," Akira replied, sitting across from him and pouring herself another cupful, "Demons that have since passed into legend. They've been hiding until now, waiting to strike and start the war they always wanted."

"But, why now?"

"I don't know for sure. I've been observing anyone I find suspicious, but I can't find any reason for why this is happening."

"Have you met any others?"

Akira fell silent. 'Met' was a bit of a loaded term, but she sullenly opted for the truth.

"I've been watching one pretty closely, who I am certain of. But never spoke to her."

"Mm," Takumi nodded, "I guess you couldn't, given that you can't tell if you can trust them or not."

"Oh? So you aren't going to give me some 'you should all be friends and work together' speech?" the girl chuckled, much to the boy's embarrassment.

"Even if I did, you wouldn't listen!" he retorted, forcing the blush to rise the surface.

"… Really though," he continued more seriously, "I won't pretend like I know everything that's happening to you, because I don't. But it doesn't matter. I will support you! We'll get through this together!"

Without thinking, Takumi reached forward over the table and clasped the uncharacteristically delicate hands in his. They stared at each other in silence; Akira's being more stunned wonderment while Takumi had been caught up in his emotions. By the end of his words, all the potential outcomes had rushed to his brain, most of which involved Akira losing. He couldn't stand it.

"I… I don't want to lose you… Akira-kun…"

The girl's hands squeezed back and her eyes fell to the side. She couldn't lie, but she also did not want to hurt him any further. In the end, all she could say was the truth.

"Kaku's power is unlike any other – not weak, not strong. The power of transformation can be worth more on a battlefield where not all participants are known. If I can stay hidden long enough… maybe it will pass."

"Do you really think so?" the hope was clear in Takumi's eyes.

"I can't say for sure… I don't know how much the eight-tails' host saw of me. If she knows my face… There is no one I could win a physical fight against," she continued explaining, right through the boy's worried gasp, "The best I could do is defend against the Rokubi until she tires, and escape again."

"Then do that!" Takumi shouted, unable to keep the tears at bay any longer, "Keep hiding! I'll hide with you! These demons will never find you if we run away-!"

"I can't leave Fuuka," Akira's words were blunt, but the sombre tone made the boy question them with his gaze, "Kaku may be the demon of disguise, but that doesn't mean he is peaceful or cowardly. He wants to fight just as much as the rest of them, and I can't stop that. I've kept my possession limited, but being constantly transformed under a male persona has kept me close to his abilities. The seven-tails' hold on me is too strong for me to leave the venue for this tournament."

Perhaps it was a mental defense mechanism, but Takumi's curiosity turned to a different subject. He had since let go of Akira's hands, going back to his drink once more before moving on, "About that… Why did your transformation change?"

"Because _you_ couldn't keep your hands out of my stuff!" the girl snorted, to the point of visibly exhaling dusty smoke from her nostrils, reminiscent of the earth demon.

"I-"

"That talisman under my bed is one that I made as a child. Kaku, and myself by extension, transform by moulding clay around us. So long as the clay covers us, we can shape it any way we like. Earth can work in a pinch, but it isn't as stable and even clay will fall apart if not kept on consciously. Which is why I made this item to do it for me." Akira reached over to where the box had been left since her entry. She placed it on the table to give Takumi a closer look. "If this is stable, so is my transformation. It made it passive. When you disturbed it, the clay started falling off me right in front of everyone."

"I'm…" there really were no words, "…I'm sorry, for everything. I shouldn't have looked."

"Never mind my secret being out to students, you nearly got me killed!" Akira's mock harshness was followed by a calmer breath and putting the talisman back in its place, "You'll have to be more careful from now on. Okuzaki Akira died today. My family will take care of the details."

"Huh?" Takumi stared as the girl stood up, firmly staring out the far window.

"You will have a new roommate tomorrow, once my parents give me the name I will let you know. My survival depends on being able to hide. If Yamata no Orochi's host thinks I'm dead, then she'll spend more time looking for the others than worrying about where Kaku will reincarnate next."

* * *

A hefty sigh fell from the president's lips as she sat back in her desk chair. Almost all of the students had gone home, exhausted from the day of athletics, and a deep orange glow was hovering on the western horizon. Shizuru found herself surrounded by the remaining student council members, hardly listening to a word they said. She couldn't care less about the success of the festival, and whatever needed fixing she was sure Haruka would be first to jump in and take care of it. Her fingers clawed at the armrest.

_I'm being consumed…_

The girl referred to her cacophony of emotions, unsettled since that twinge in her heart a week ago. Something had happened, she was sure of it. Her blank, tired expression briefly flickered with sadness; it was times like this that she regretted being hidden from Natsuki. The person she loved the most was also the only one who she knew could understand her and yet…

_For her sake… I can't._

"Well, that about wraps it up," Reito said as he stacked some papers together on his adjacent desk,"Shall we take care of the rest tomorrow?"

"Yes," Yukino agreed readily, eager to return to to her room.

"How is Haruka, by the way?" the boy casually inquired while standing up to leave.

"Recovering," the brunette tried her best to remain calm and smile, "Everything should be back to normal after the weekend."

"That's good!" he replied with a chuckle before turning to Shizuru, "Any longer and we'd be overrun with tasks, wouldn't we?"

The kaichou pouted, refreshingly 'normal' for a few seconds, "Mou, Reito-san, I do work as well."

"Of course," he kept his expression, but turned it to something more concerned, "But things have felt so strange lately, it would be nice to finally get back on track, hm?"

The two girls both gave a secretively solemn nod.

"I do miss it," Shizuru relaxed her grip, and with her first smile in days, she watched those two exit only to see someone approach from the side.

_Ara?_

It was a woman, an adult who she had in fact not met before. Strangely enough, she seemed like she knew her way around and yet acted so timid. Shizuru eyed her carefully, waiting a few seconds before call out to her.

"May I help you?" the girl asked curiously, confused as to why this stranger was lurking around the student council room.

"Ah… umm… yes," short violet hair was pushed back out of her eyes, "My name is Sagisawa Youko."

The affirmation of her own name seemed to perk her confidence, although this sense of calm made her feel all the more trapped. From the moment she entered the room, Youko sensed the powerful aura that emanated from the serpent demon's lair. And yet, she deviated from her rehearsed speech, _She seems so… She's just a kid…_

"Are you looking for someone?" Shizuru tilted her head.

"No…" she shut her eyes, regaining focus, "I'm here on behalf of… No, I'm here on my own."

"Oh?"

"I actually have something to offer you," she pulled a folder out from her coat, "I… I don't even know why I'm doing this…"

"Well, start from the beginning?" Shizuru offered, concerned at the strange sadness in this woman's voice; if anything, it seemed like the kinder she was, the more nervous she was making her.

"Information… I want you to have it."

Shizuru cautiously took the folder that was handed to her, and upon opening it to see the first page, her instincts took over. Youko stood her ground as a snake slithered out from the girl's sleeve with incredible swiftness, shut the door, and retracted just as quickly as it appeared.

"Why?" Shizuru stared seriously, "And what is in here exactly? Explain yourself."

"I'm not your enemy," she began, "No… I'm nothing in this anymore."

The president waited silently.

"Midori, err… Shukaku, is dead. Sealed."

"What?!" Shizuru grit her teeth, "By who?"

"I don't know who did it, but I'm sure you heard about the damage to the two skyscrapers a week ago? It was Midori and another jinchuuriki. And…" she felt tears choking her throat again, "Midori lost. The next day, I took the antler tea kettle and sealed Shukaku – along with her – into it."

"So it _was_ a death back then…" Shizuru sighed and leaned back in her seat, calmly gesturing for Youko to sit with her.

As if commanded, the woman lowered herself into the chair opposite the large desk and continued to tell her story.

"Since I met Midori, we had been studying demons and mythology. And once she told me about herself we spent our days researching the curse and legend. In that folder is all of the information we've compiled over the years."

"Why are you giving it to me?"

"Because… Midori was under Shukaku's influence more than anyone thought, but I still know who she really was. I knew she was human, and… and I see it in you too."

The girl blinked, taken aback by the kind words.

"I have this information, and honestly… if anyone can do good with it, it's you."

"If you know this much, you should know that I am the demon of Evil itself," Shizuru crossed her arms and kept up her hard stare until she was struck once again.

"I'm not asking Orochi for help, I'm asking you," Youko met the stare just as fiercely now, "Midori may have acted like a fool, but she admired and respected your strength. She acknowledged that you are the strongest jinchuuriki, the one with the most control and strength. If anyone can put a stop to this war: it's you."

Shizuru looked down sadly, attempting to hide the emotion by reading further through the various essays and notes. A few pages later, something caught her attention.

_What? But he was…?_

"All jinchuuriki are female?" she asked, reading further as Youko explained.

"Yes, we discovered it through conversations with Shukaku as well as historical texts. A demon always needs a host, its spirit will always exist. The best for us would of course be to seal it in an inanimate object… but for it, the transfer from mother to child is too convenient to pass up. And not that the jinchuuriki ever finds out – given that most are disowned by their fathers afterward – but if the first baby turned out to be male, the demon would kill it and force a miscarriage until a female was conceived."

Papers fell to the wooden surface, along with Shizuru's limp arms. Her lip quivered, barely able to form the words, "My… my mother was…?"

Youko nodded, "All of you, in fact. You've all lost your mothers during your births."

"But… no. This can't be right. Natsuki knew her mother, and I saw a male jinchuuriki today!" she hissed, trying to frighten the woman into admitting it was a lie, but to no avail.

"Turn the pages."

Shizuru did as she was told, groaning at the words which somehow… she had expected, "Adopted…"

"We researched Kuga Natsuki only recently, her case is quite complex. How much do you know of her before she came to this city? And how much does she?"

"She…" it was getting put together in her mind, "She doesn't talk about it much but Natsuki always speaks fondly of her mother. And how coincidental is it that her adoptive mother dies as well? How, how is this…"

Youko sighed, restraining herself from reaching out to hold the girl's hand in comfort. It was clearly an alarming realization, and the look in those crimson pools showed that she needn't explain any further. Shizuru already understood, as the truth escaped her lips in a whisper.

"It's an illusion…"

"Houkou's doing, yes," the woman nodded, "Kuga Saeko worked for an organization known as the First District. She was…" blue eyes looked away sadly, "_Assigned_ to the girl."

Shizuru's breaths deepened, a seething rage rising from her body, quite literally, like violet steam.

"I urge you," Youko raised her arms defensively, "Don't read further. There is no need to know what happened. It may be bad, but the demon of illusion is keeping the girl in a blissful memory!"

The girl's clenched fists loosened. This stranger had a point. Not even someone as strong as herself could change the past, and there was nothing that could be done to save the childhood of the one she loved. The best that could be done… Houkou was doing it.

"Right…" Shizuru relaxed again, "And what of the male jinchuuriki I saw today? I chased him into the woods but it was clear he was not female."

"How do you know he was a jinchuuriki then?"

"Because his transformation was falling. It was the seven-tails."

"You think Kaku's host wouldn't first change her gender to hide?" Youko scoffed, "Not that we found anything on that one. As expected of the seven-tails, everything is hidden."

"…Thank you," Shizuru offered, sincerely, "Although, I can't say I understand why you trust me. As of late, my control has been mediocre at best."

"To be honest, I have no one else to turn to," Youko replied, "The others I know of would not stand a chance against you anyway. And like I said: Midori acknowledged you as the strongest; I have no reason to doubt her."

There was nothing left to say, and after only a few seconds of silence, the woman stood to take her leave. All she could do was pray she had made the right decision.

"I have faith in you, Fujino Shizuru," she said softly as she got out of the chair, "If you can get the other bijuu in line, maybe they won't have to fight. Midori… she wanted to free you from the curse, surely, but… really, all she wanted was to protect everyone and stop the fighting."

"I'm sorry for your loss," Shizuru said softly, almost regrettably.

"Huh?" Youko turned back around to see the girl still sitting at her desk, hands folded beneath her chin as she was deep in thought, "I thought you hated Midori?"

Shizuru closed her eyes and sighed, through a subtle growl, there was a certain sadness in her tone, "I'm a jinchuuriki, there isn't much I don't hate."

"Right," Youko frowned and sternly began to leave before she was stopped once more.

"But you lost someone. And regardless, that loss should be mourned."

"Heh," the woman slid the door open, "See? There's a bit of human in all of you, after all."

Shizuru stared blankly ahead, paying no mind to the sound of the door closing, nor the growing darkness outside. Somewhere, be it deep in her heart or barely on the surface, she truly did feel the regret she spoke of.

* * *

"Reito-san!" a familiar voice called to the boy as he exited the main hall.

Golden eyes turned to see the charismatic redhead bound towards him with a happy wave.

"Good evening, Mai-san. Did you enjoy the festival?"

"Mm!" the girl nodded, "It was lots of fun! Kinda refreshing after everything that's been going on the past month."

"Eheh," a nervous chuckle escaped his chest, "You haven't seen this city in such a good light, have you?"

Mai returned his expression.

"Since I've come here, the student council has turned on each other, the school was broken into and vandalized, a local temple was struck by lightning, downtown buildings got blown up, some weird plague struck the front lawn, and worst of all-" the girl heaved in frustration, "The beach has been closed while they finish repairing some major damages!"

Since the beginning of her rant, the pair had started making their way down the path to the dorms. All the while, Reito had kept up his attempt at comforting the girl. She had been shy since the moment she appeared, and yet everything was going wrong.

"It's like I'm cursed or something!" she threw up her arms in exasperation.

"It does seems so," he answered, deadpan and staring at the darkening sky.

"Mou… You're supposed to deny it…"

"Ahah, sorry, I'm only joking…"

The two settled into a comfortable laughter, simply enjoying each other's company on their leisurely walk home.

"Thank you for walking with me, Reito-san," Mai smiled at the boy who was walking alongside her in the twilight.

"Well, I couldn't very well let a fair maiden like yourself walk back to the dormitory alone at this hour now could I?"

He had purposely over-inflated his charm for comic effect, just a little bit. It worked too, within seconds the girl was giggling happily enough to invite a gentle touch. The pink blush that rose to her cheeks was illuminated by the street lamp, and the feeling of Reito's hand against her own prompted Mai to stop in her tracks. Violet eyes glanced over at him, entranced by the amber shimmer in his; or perhaps it was the other way around.

"R-reito-san…" she whispered, unconsciously holding onto his uniform's sleeves.

His lips were only a few centimetres away from hers when they curled into smile. The girl blinked again, unsure of why he froze in place, but had not yet closed her eyes.

"You're very charming, Mai-san," the boy chuckled, "But I wonder… Am I the only one in your heart?"

His smile had not been fazed by his words, remaining calm as usual, resonating a faint light of hope. Reito did not falter as Mai had, remaining still in his stance while the girl had broken away to take a step back while shaking her head. However, she hadn't spoken a word.

_Reito-san… he's so… My heart beats so fast around him. _Her hands clenched up by her heart, a faint trickle of tears dripping down her cheek, _But why? Why does it hurt?_

"I- I…" she fumbled with her words, unable to meet his eyes again, "I… don't know."

The boy shifted his weight from one leg to the other, casually shrugging and leaning back. His smile had not faded, bringing comfort to the girl when she finally looked back up.

_Why isn't he mad?_

A hand reached out to hers.

"Reito-san…?"

"I apologize, I did not mean to stress you," he wiped a tear away, "Sometimes I get ahead of myself, I suppose. I just worry."

Before he knew it, the girl leapt into his arms, clinging tightly in such a way that practically demanded the affection be returned; which it gladly was. Reito softly laid his head in the neatly combed red tresses, allowing his eyes to drift closed.

_I've just… never met someone as alluring as you._

* * *

"You don't have to be out here, you know. I can take care of this just fine by myself."

Akira stopped her fast paced walk through the woods to turn back around. Takumi had been following her, but his physical condition kept him a few metres behind at all times. A pang of sympathy radiated through the girl's heart. He had kept so calm about all this – perhaps still in shock – but continued to follow her. In that respect, nothing had changed.

_You're helpless, aren't you?_

With a chuckle and sigh, Akira looked around carefully.

"This is far enough," she knelt down and ran her fingers through the ground, "No one will notice if I dig here."

"Are you sure?" Takumi heaved a breath and his feet crunched through the leaves and twigs.

"Positive," her sensitive ears were attuned to the possibility of anyone else's presence.

Without hesitation, the girl allowed the demonic energy to flow through her arms and hands. The brunette boy took a step back in awe at the way the thin limbs were wrapped up in a dark steam. It wasn't like earlier that day when it was a badger's hand. Akira was keeping her own form, with the addition of generic claws to her hands. Admittedly, she was stronger now, but her form remained much the same.

Under curious eyes, Akira took to her task and quickly began digging. Her demon's natural ability was guiding her actions to successfully find what was buried beneath the soil. She wouldn't admit it to Takumi, or probably even herself, the sense of compulsion she felt right then. Strategy had been ingrained into her mind since she was a child, the fact that she would need to transform again was automatic. But still, the speed at which she clawed through the earth was Kaku's doing. A scared demon, desperate to maintain his security as long as possible before anyone would find him.

When her palms hit clay, finally, Akira stopped and took a disheartened breath. Her inhuman endurance had kept her from even breaking a sweat, but she still felt the need to rest. She was standing knee-deep in the ground atop a vein of clay, ready to pry up as much as she needed, but she felt a stare making her hesitant.

"What is it?" she turned to the boy who seemed to have something on his mind, "If you're afraid of me now you can just say so. No one's ever seen me like this except my family."

"What?" he blinked, "Of course not!" He smiled, "Really, Akira-kun, I won't leave."

The girl grit her teeth in an attempt to hide her blushing expression, "That wasn't what I was worried about!"

Takumi merely sighed and continued to smile at the girl who, in an attempt to divert from the topic, began cutting away at the earthy material she needed.

"Actually, what I was going to say is: I don't think you should change."

"Huh?" Akira stopped to give him an intrigued look.

"What I mean is, whoever that other host is, they'll be expecting this won't they?"

Takumi looked on at the girl who, surprisingly, was not shutting him down.

"They don't know who you are, but they know that the bijuu you have is going to want to hide."

"She'll be looking for the one who's different, not who's the same!" Akira finished, wide eyed at the boy's strategic thinking skills.

All in all, she had actually thought Takumi to be a bit slow in terms of planning and so on. His easy going personality gave an impression of mild airheadedness; but when it came down to it, he was right.

"Exactly," he continued, "That person is going to expect you to go into extreme hiding mode – especially after being so close. So really, if you take on any other form, it will give away who you are."

"But if I stay the same, and don't make any sudden movements, she'll pass right by me."

Akira stood in quiet contemplation, quite literally feeling the sensation of the snake slithering over her. She knew she was being hunted now, more so than just coming across another jinchuuriki in a fight. What's more, she had no idea who the other host was, and would have to spend each day being coiled around, feeling the cold scales against her skin wherever she went.

_But if I can hold out… if I don't move. The snake will lose interest. Orochi still can't find me._

"I have to say," Akira huffed with a bit of pride, "You're smarter than you look."

"Thank you," Takumi answered with his same innocent smile, although it was turned into a confused expression soon enough.

"This is going to take all night. I have to bury myself for the clay to stick properly, you should go to bed."

"It's okay, I'll stay and keep you company."

"It's not like I'll be able to chat, there's no reason for you to sit out here all night."

"But," his soft expression seemed to meld with the terse one, "I want to stay with you…"

Her fast heartbeat was enough to break Akira out of the trance. With the forceful shake of her head and crossing of her arms, she huffed once more and plotted herself down in the hole she had made.

"Fine, suit yourself."

And the boy did just that. He sat down in the small clearing with nothing more than his patience to keep him company. It would be a long night after a long day, but sleep could wait. Takumi had felt only concern for his friend from the moment she burst through the door and tried to kill him. After hearing her story, his selflessness would carry on – for her sake.

_I'll be quiet._

He whispered in thought while lying down on his side.

_I bet it takes a lot of concentration._

He closed his eyes.

_I'm really sorry, Akira-kun, for causing this mess today. But… The fact that you trusted me… I'll never forget it._

Takumi held close to the dagger they had made together, which had never left his side since then, and continued to smile.

_I'll watch over you, I promise._


	11. Why I'll Fight

**A/N: Sorry for being forgetful with these author's notes! I'm so thankful for those of you who read this story! **

**Translation note: *"neko" - Natsuki uses this as a pun. Neko means cat, which obviously relates to Mikoto, but neko also sometimes slang for the submissive partner.**

**XI – Why I'll Fight**

Evening was beginning to cast its delicate azure shadow over the cursed city. It had been some time since the light-haired president had left the school grounds, particularly for pleasure rather than business. Dressed casually in form fitting jeans and a mauve turtleneck sweater, Shizuru was feeling like a teenager for the first time in nearly a month. Granted, it was because she had some sucking up to do.

"Thank you," she replied politely to the shop keeper, from whom she had just purchased a small box of chocolates.

Her lopsided smile was prominent on her soft features, hoping that these would do the trick. The girl took a deep breath and looked up at the sky as she walked down the busy street. The bright lights of this particular district made seeing the stars rather difficult, but her gaze soon fell on a nearby apartment building.

A hop, skip and jump – literally – would have gotten her over to the building in a matter of seconds. But just as she was about to flick her ankle and kick off the pavement, Shizuru stopped herself. Her face tightened along with the mental scoff she gave herself.

_Surely you can cross the street on your own, you aren't a child._

And she did just that. Just like a normal person, she waited alongside a mass of others for the light to change and crossed on the designated lines. Surprisingly, it was something the girl had taken for granted. In fact, she had taken so many things for granted.

At the push of a button, Shizuru had risen up four floors in the apartment complex, vaguely remembering the way to the correct door. She felt her tongue attempt to flick out from between her teeth, her instinctive method of finding someone, but with a small squint of pain she was daring enough to bite it. She didn't need her sense of smell to find her way.

Three successive knocks later, and the door opened to reveal a surprised Natsuki dressed in a pair of loose shorts and her hoodie, clearly not expecting company.

"Sh-shizuru! Why didn't you call?" her face turned bright red, immediately trying to dust the crumbs off herself.

"Is it inconvenient that I'm here?" the elder girl asked with her trademark head tilt and smile.

"Of course not, stupid!" Natsuki grabbed Shizuru's arm in mock frustration and pulled her inside with a sigh, "I was just gaming, the place is a mess. You hardly ever come here."

"Ara, but Natsuki hasn't been at school in four days. I had to make sure she was okay," the smile did not let up, forcing the navy-haired girl into a childish pout.

"Don't worry, I took it off your record," Shizuru reassured, leaning over to reach even-level with the jade eyes, "I got Natsuki a present."

The girl pulled the box of chocolates from behind her back and held them out to Natsuki who – all too eagerly – snatched it up with a bright smile.

"You didn't have to," the girl's modest words betrayed the fact that the box was opened in seconds and she already had one in her mouth.

"Hehe, it still surprises me that the ice princess of Fuuka has such a sweet tooth."

"Oh be quiet," Natsuki mumbled with a mouthful before swallowing, allowing for a second of silence to catch a glimpse of what Shizuru was hiding behind her mask; luckily she did not have to ask.

"Besides," crimson eyes shifted to the floor briefly before turning back to the girl, "I wanted to apologize."

A mildly relieved sigh came from Natsuki as she wiped her mouth with her sleeve and leaned back onto the armrest of her sofa, "Me too, and to be honest, I'm glad you feel the same way."

Shizuru gave an solemn nod, the most she would ever be able to tell Natsuki how much she felt the same way, "I've been very on edge and otherwise unpleasant as of late, and I never meant to take it out on you."

"Same," the girl's emerald eyes fell to her side, looking out the far balcony window, "I feel like I've had this uneasiness in me for a few weeks now, but then it spiked recently. I haven't been myself either, so I forgive you."

Shizuru smiled, "It's a shame that we have a tendency to hurt the people closest to us."

"Yeah, but it just goes to show how close we are," Natsuki grinned.

It was a heartbreaking expression. So innocent and genuine that it made Shizuru's lip quiver.

_Is there really no way?_

The girl's fist clenched at her side, though to went unnoticed.

_Will she really not make it out of this alive?!_

Her eyes shut tight.

_Am I powerless to protect her?_

In the split second that she felt the honesty in Natsuki's words, the girl's mind flashed to all that could bring her from this dream. Against the advice of the kind stranger, and her own better judgement, Shizuru had read everything detailing her girlfriend's past. Every last note which she had been compelled to read were now just more secrets that she could not say. Furthermore, it was not only Natsuki's details she studied to the letter.

Everything in that file was more information than she could have attained on her own; and as a human girl, Shizuru could only thank the human Midori from the bottom of her heart for her sacrifice.

_But this smile..._

"Hm- Eh?" Natsuki blinked in surprise as she was suddenly wrapped up in Shizuru's arms.

She stood there stiffly, worried at the way the girl was embracing her around the shoulders, burying her face in the crook of her neck. The shivers and sharp breaths made it clear that she was crying.

"Shizuru? What's wrong?" Natsuki held her close, staring at the opposite wall in confusion, but letting the girl expel all that was inside her.

_It will disappear._

"I'm sorry," Shizuru whimpered, "I'm… I'm so helpless! I'm losing my mind!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Natsuki cooed, rubbing her back, "Where'd all this come from? You're not losing your mind. Just calm down and talk to me."

"I can't!" inhuman fangs grit, hidden in the folds of fabric, "Everything… is…"

And just like that, Natsuki felt the girl fall like dead weight in her arms. She lifted her with a muted grunt of surprise, but before she could get a better grip the pair slumped down onto the floor.

"Ugh," the girl grumbled and quickly looked over the one in her arms.

Panic subsided into sadness when she saw Shizuru's chest rise and fall peacefully. Despite the redness around her eyes from crying, it looked like she was in fact sleeping peacefully. She appeared to have collapsed from mere emotional exhaustion and in a few seconds the teary eyes began to flutter open.

* * *

However, for Shizuru, those few seconds felt far longer. She had been plunged into the deepest depths of her soul: a place she abhorred. After all, in this realm, she was purely human – stripped of all power that could keep her safe. Pale hands clawed at the dirt ground, appropriately layered with a fair amount of spilled blood for as far as it expanded. Tear drops rippled in the crimson, though she dared not open her eyes. Not that it would matter… there was nothing but absolute darkness in this world.

"I didn't expect you to beg," the voice made the ground rumble, and the girl could hear the crushing sounds of slithering nearby.

_Right…_

"… I'm not," the girl clenched her fists beneath her, making delicate splashes as she stood up.

Scales brushed up against Shizuru's skin, sending shivers up her spine and forcing her to breathe deeply through the overpowering aura. She was strong enough to endure this. She knew it. She had to know it.

_That's right._

A stern expression took the place of the formerly broken girl. Even as the blood of an eternity of carnage dripped from her body, scarlet eyes finally showed themselves. Black, black, and more black… and then sixteen orbs of glowing red. The hissing of eight snake heads nearly slashed up the girl's skin, but she would not move.

"I haven't seen you since you were a child, girl. You really hate me."

"I hate everything," Shizuru spoke, as if repeating a learned command as another massive snake tail trudged through the bloodbath, "But yes, most of all: I hate you."

"You say that like it matters," another head chuckled evilly, "Though I suppose it doesn't matter who you hate, so long as you do."

"I lied."

"Oh?" the snake tilted a head.

"I hate everything… except Natsuki."

"Hah! That girl is just a treat to your tastes!"

"No!" Shizuru shouted back fiercely, "And I will do everything in my power to protect her! That is all that matters to me."

"And what is this power you speak of, human? Don't forget who gives you your strength. You are strong enough to handle my presence in your body, but only because I am kind enough to share more with my host than the other jinchuuriki."

"Because you know what will happen if I fall in battle," Shizuru retorted, the clever glint in her eyes had the serpent taken aback.

"What are you saying?" Orochi hissed angrily.

"I have relied on you for too long, when truly: it is you who relies on me. So, it is in your best interest to prevent me from having nothing to lose."

"You wouldn't!" one head roared, diving down on the girl with bared fangs only to be intercepted by another biting down on his long neck while a third frowned at her.

"I would," Shizuru stared as if she were already dead, "So I am here with a proposition."

"You expect me to make a deal with a human?"

"I do. Because if you don't, Kyuubi will win this battle."

Nothing more than muffled hissing echoed in the expansive consciousness.

"You're unlucky to have a host who would never conceive a child, and you know this. You have made me strong because your success is dependent on my body staying in one piece. If I die, you have nowhere to go. You will wander the world trying to find something strong enough to withstand your massive power. Now, I will ask you: who is the strongest jinchuuriki?"

"… You," disdain dripped off the forked tongue.

"It would take even the weakest bijuu a decade or two to capture a strong enough body to make a host without accidentally killing it, how long would it take for you, I wonder? A century? No, longer."

"You try my patience!" the demon snapped.

"No, I frighten you."

A low growl seemed to hover in the atmosphere before dissipating.

"… So, what is this deal?"

"As I said, my sole desire is to protect Natsuki. And as for you, what is Houkou to you if you actually manage to kill Kyuubi this time?"

"You want me to leave the dog alone?"

"If I have the assurance that no harm will come to her..." crimson eyes shone with their own darkness, "I will slaughter every bijuu."

* * *

"Shizuru? Hey, are you okay?" Natsuki stared down at the bleary eyed girl in her arms.

"You passed out for a second, what's going on?"

"I'm alright…" the girl laced their fingers together, a soft smile coming weakly to her surface, "I… will… protect you."

* * *

"You really didn't have to walk me home a second time, Tate-kun," Mai giggled.

"It- It's nothing!" the boy huffed and crossed his arms, supressing a blush, "If you're not gonna be grateful then maybe I should just leave you to fend for yourself!"

"Would you?" violet eyes practically dazzled with mischief.

"Of course!" Tate snorted, turning on his heel and swinging an arm back with a dismissive wave.

"Wait," the girl called out, her expression dampening only to sparkle again the second he glanced in her direction, "You're right," Mai looked away shyly, "People have been talking about monsters and stuff. I mean, they can't be real but still – thank you."

A childish pout turned soft the moment the words touched his ears. Tate simply smirked to himself, incredulously pressing a palm to his face, _I've really gotten myself into trouble now, haven't I?_

"See ya tomorrow, Tokiha!" he faced the pathway again, "Come get me whenever you're afraid of the dark, okay?"

The girl grit her teeth, visibly fuming and shaking a fist at her departing classmate, "That's not why I let you tag along!"

His scoff was just barely out of earshot, drowned out by the heavy sigh as the redhead sulked in defeat. Her pride would keep it a secret, but having someone take care of her was a really nice feeling. Her eyes didn't waver from the dark path as her lips formed a smile. Mai was so used to being the caretaker, and truth be told she didn't mind. Somehow she seemed to keep up her energy and take it all in stride.

_But having Tate-kun… and Reito-san._

She smiled at the thought – a thought which was immediately interrupted by the familiar energetic cry.

"Mai!"

The girl barely had the time to turn around before Mikoto had launched herself into her chest. However, after a month or so, this was nothing.

"Sorry I'm late, Mikoto. Did you eat?" she asked, petting black spikes of hair.

"Nope! I want Mai's ramen!"

"Eheh, you know it's just an instant package, right?"

"But-!"

"Fine, fine," Mai had already lifted the girl onto her back, "We'll have ramen then."

She could feel a happy snuggle press itself into her head and neck. This weird routine, in its own way, made life at this new school feel like home. Mai had been concerned about what she would do without having Takumi to take care of so frequently, but with Mikoto around...

_It's like I have a sister._

* * *

"You know what… I'm not even surprised anymore."

"Eh? Wha- WHAT?!" Mai's eyes jolted open to see her door swung wide open with Natsuki standing in the hallway.

"You've got a little… neko on your face," the older girl pointed with a judgemental stare.

"Mikoto!" the redhead shouted, forcing the black-haired girl awake, although she still had to pry their cheeks apart.

"Mai…" Mikoto mumbled, rubbing her amber eyes while Mai was frantically looking around her room.

"Why are your clothes scattered everywhere?" Natsuki tilted her head, chuckling when the girl's face turned bright red.

"I have no idea! Mikoto! What did you do?!" by now she was shaking the small shoulders desperately.

"I took them off."

The blunt reply sent Mai's jaw dropping and Natsuki's lungs into a fit of laughter. Luckily, the latter was kind enough to toss over the uniform top she found on the floor, followed by the matching skirt.

"What you two do behind closed doors is your business… but you should probably close the door."

"It's not like that!" Mai stammered, turning back to Mikoto quickly, "Tell her – us – what happened!"

"You were hot… So I took your clothes off."

Mai winced at Natsuki's snort, "Then why are _you_ naked too?"

"Snuggles!"

The girl could only become so exasperated, especially so early in the morning. On some level, something like this didn't surprise her either. As soon as she got out from under the covers, barely clothed, Mai pushed Mikoto back over to her own bed and hurried into the kitchen.

"Really, what if Kanzaki had been walking by?" Natsuki snickered at the way the redhead's body stiffened up immediately.

"But Mai spends all of her time with Tate," Mikoto interjected bluntly, grinning like an idiot while Mai's face flushed.

"Ohhhh?" jade eyes peered over at the girl with a comically intense gaze, and were soon joined by amber ones of the same expression.

"Just get to class!" Mai shouted, practically in flames, and tossed a bento box to the now-clothed cat-girl.

With a bright grin and a nod, Mikoto turned on a dime and rushed out the door, leaving the two older girls to themselves.

"Sheesh, she reads into things too much," Mai grumbled, stirring some food in a pan for breakfast before turning to her friend, "What brings you by?"

"Just passing," Natsuki replied, leaning on the wall, "Shizuru isn't well so I took her home and made sure she'd stay in bed and rest… Then she caught on to the fact that I was trying to use taking care of her as a chance to skip." The navy-haired girl chuckled, rubbing the back of her head until her glance caught onto what was in the frying pan, "All that's for you?"

"Huh?" Mai turned back around, "No, that's your half. You haven't eaten yet, have you?"

"N-no, but-"

"No buts!" her motherly nature had stunned the girl to silence, "I can't let my friends go skipping meals."

"Oh? But you'll let me skip class to eat it?" she joked, only to receive a genuine response.

"Why not?"

"Huh? Isn't this the part where you tell me to be a good girl, pat me on the head and send me out the door?"

Mai raised an eyebrow, bringing in two plates of breakfast and setting them down on the table. She took her place at once side and after another almost-demanding glance, Natsuki gave in and sat at the other.

_Friendship is weird…_

"What kind of scenario was that?" Mai giggled, "It's nice to take it easy every so often. Besides, my classes have been so dull lately."

_But I like it…_

"Sorry, I guess I was just thinking of how my mother used to treat me."

Mai peeked up curiously from her dish. On one hand she didn't want to pry, but the sombre tone in the other girl's voice implied there was more to that than it seemed. It was an oddly familiar tone, but she couldn't quite put her finger on where she heard it before.

"Are you… close with your mother?" Mai ventured – only to receive a mirthless smile in response.

"You could say. She died when I was a kid, but not a day goes by that I don't think about her."

Violet eyes opened sharply with a light gasp.

_That's it, that's my voice._

"I- I know that feeling," Mai's voice reached out, making Natsuki blink in confusion.

"You do?" the girl tilted her head when the other nodded.

"My mother died shortly after Takumi was born," Mai looked to her friend with understanding eyes, "But my father always told me I resembled her. I never saw it, but oh well. She's also the one who taught me how to cook."

Natsuki smiled. It was nice, having this feeling of being able to share with someone. Despite only recently admitting to their friendship, the girl felt a pleasant sense of belonging in Mai's company. Maybe it was this: the subtle understanding they had for each other. She couldn't really tell the specifics, but seeing the other girl open up to her so easily made Natsuki feel comforted. That maybe she could do the same.

"My mother didn't really teach me much," she replied, "I was always too busy running around and being energetic. And she was a researcher so she'd sometimes spend days locked in her office trying to get work done. But she was always there for me if I ever needed it."

"I can imagine that," Mai chuckled.

"School can just… be really boring," the girl groaned, "Although it's been better since coming to Fuuka."

"Where did you go to school before?"

"The research company my mother worked for had a school for the children of all their employees. I was mostly in classes of two to five kids. It was always noticeable if I wasn't in class… which made me hate it even more."

Natsuki's fist clenched against her will. And Mai noticed the change in her inflection towards the end of her explanation. She hadn't meant to pry, offering a nervous smile to ease her friend's distress. In the blink of an eye, everything seemed to go back to normal. Natsuki was smiling right back at her and the two quickly shared a laugh as the girl ruffled the back of her midnight locks.

"We should do this more often," Mai grinned.

"What? Skip class, or hang out?"

"Can't we do both?"

Natsuki chuckled, "Fair enough," she agreed, although her happiness was followed by a more conflicted train of thought, _Well, maybe not the skip class part… But I… I really like Mai._

"You're worried about kaichou-san aren't you?" the redhead looked down at her empty plate, sadly.

"I- No- I just-"

"It's okay, really," the girl's violet eyes softened, "I don't want to get between you two. I mean, I wish she didn't hate me but… If she does, then she does."

"But I can't understand why…"

"You don't have to," Mai smiled, "I won't take it personally if we spend less time together."

Natsuki sat there, silent, while the girl took the empty dishes to the kitchen. If anything she had become even closer to her with those words, _Shizuru… Mai is the first person, other than you, who I feel I could really befriend…_

"I'll figure something out," Natsuki stated with confidence, standing firmly in the other girl's periphery, "But Mai, I… I don't want to lose you as a friend!"

She may have been startled by the announcement at first, but Mai soon became giddy with joy, as reflected in her wide grin and sparkling eyes. It was a grin which, in a split second became a proud smirk.

"Good!"

* * *

"Haruka-chan?" Yukino called delicately, entering their dorm room after a long day.

The brunette sighed deeply and dropped her bag at the side of the hallway. She was glad to finally be home. Days without Haruka were always quiet, but it wasn't as appealing as others might think. Yukino was tired of missing her, of feeling a piece of herself resting in complete exhaustion. And so, when she saw the blonde step out into the living room, Yukino couldn't restrain her smile.

"Haruka-chan!" she practically leapt into the girl's arms.

"Y-yukino!" Haruka faltered weakly as she caught her, "Careful now, I only just recovered."

"Sorry," the girl stepped back, still smiling, "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been resting too long," Haruka sighed, "Really, who'd have thought it'd take over a week to regain that energy."

The smaller girl looked at her with a frown, "Which is why you should never do it again!"

"Hey! We would have been swallowed up in a sandstorm if I didn't!"

Yukino froze in that instant. Everything was happening so fast that she hadn't thought to ask, but Haruka's demeanor seemed to imply the worst. She was too carefree. The brunette quickly reached out, gripping the other girl's hand tightly, "You don't know, do you?"

"Huh?" the blonde cocked her head to the side.

"It's not like I was happy about letting you go to class with that Higurashi Akane by yourself, but I couldn't have helped you fight anyway. You're the one who told me to recover-"

"Not that!" Yukino stared with pleading eyes, "No, Higurashi-san hasn't made a move against me but… Midori-sensei…"

Haruka visibly cringed at the memory. Teacher or not, what Midori had done to them and betraying Akane's trust… she couldn't bring herself to forgive it, "Hm? What about the Ichibi?"

"She hasn't been to work in a week… since we fought her."

"Why are you surprised? She hadn't even partially transformed when you drowned her."

Yukino shook her head forcefully.

"I didn't want to tell you, because I knew you'd worry. But now…" her gaze became one of sadness, "Midori-sensei survived our fight. She came to class the next day like it was nothing, but that was the last I saw her."

Haruka's eyes widened, "What are you saying?" her fist clenched.

"Later that night... I felt something," Yukino sat down on the sofa and Haruka followed, watching intently.

"I don't know how to explain it but it was... frightening. And I think… I think she was killed by someone else."

"What?" the blonde grit her teeth.

"Mm. Something pulled me so forcefully to look in a certain direction that night. For no reason at all, it was as if I felt the bloodshed in myself."

"Tch, so another jinchuuriki got to her first?"

"Haruka-chan!" Yukino scolded, only to receive a groan and pout in response.

"Well _I'm sorry_, but she picked a fight with us. If it weren't for her we wouldn't have been exposed and I wouldn't have had to protect you. I've been stuck up in a bathtub for a week trying to regain my strength."

"I know… But, Haruka-chan… others are fighting."

Yukino's eyes had already shut with fear, but she still felt her hand be held tight. She blinked and glanced over to see Haruka stare intently at the floor.

"We'll probably have to fight again. No matter what, I'm going to protect you! I know you probably think it's pointless to fight, or that we shouldn't, but-"

The brunette felt the grasp on her hand intensify, bracing her for the inevitable tears welling up inside. It reminded her of what she had been running from for the past week. It frightened her. Yukino's thoughts immediately raced through their usual mantras of denial. But the lies she would tell herself had no effect on her other half. The second Haruka turned her eyes onto the olive ones; the girl was forced to face the truth.

"It's not pointless," the girl interrupted, causing an air of surprise to hover between them, "I don't want to fight. I want to live happily with you, Haruka-chan…" Yukino gazed sadly into the violet eyes, "I want us to build the family we never had."

"Yukino…"

"For that reason… Fighting isn't pointless."

* * *

Rain had begun to pour that afternoon, darkening the stone steps of the thunder temple. Slowly but surely, Akane was making her way up to the top where she would finally face the conviction that had already formed inside her. The young girl, perpetually timid in nature, had come to the same realization as the others of her kind.

_If I don't fight… then… I won't survive this._

With the sense of the Ichibi's death still fresh in her soul, she climbed until she stood at the plateau, facing the archery training house. Akane gripped the strap of her large bag tightly, readjusting her grip on the heavy luggage, but staying put. There was a crackle of lightning in the sky, briefly exciting the girl beyond her control but she calmed when she saw Kazuya exist the building. His innocently confused glance brought a smile to her face, giving her the strength to step forward.

_Mm… for his sake. I won't give up._

A few minutes had passed, and the couple was now sitting on the wooden porch, looking out at the dreary weather.

"Kazu-kun… I told you before right? That I don't actually hate being a jinchuuriki."

The boy was caught off guard by the topic, but nodded all the same.

"It's funny," Akane continued to stare up at the chaotic sky, "Raijuu has never hurt me or anyone I care about. If anything, I'd say he's kind for a demon. But even still… he's a target."

"Akane-chan…"

"When I found out that there were others like me out there… I wanted to meet them. Maybe they would play with Raijuu. Maybe we could be friends." She paused, sighing, "But ever since I felt that strange spark, that thought has seemed like a fleeting, childish dream. This war is where I belong." Akane shut her eyes, summoning the courage to reveal her plans, "So I'm going to fight."

"What?!" Kazuya faced her, a surprised gasp escaping his throat.

"If this is what it means to be a jinchuuriki… Then I don't mind."

The boy clenched his hand around hers, a weak attempt at restraining his anger. He couldn't bring himself to believe that this could actually be what she wanted. Akane, who was always kind, happy, and peaceful… The moment his eyes shut, they reopened upon hearing her words.

"Kazu-kun," her delicate arms wrapped around his shoulders, "I don't have the strength to run from my fate. But… if I try… I may have the strength to live through it."

The boy's tension appeared to lift momentarily, only to be replaced by sadness.

"I already know what this means… If the fighting continues," her brown eyes glistened with tears, "Lives will be lost."

"Akane-chan…" Kazuya shuddered between hitched breaths.

"Kazu-kun," Akane felt the boy's hands hold her back tightly, "I finally know the feeling." She clung desperately to his shoulders, faintly repressing her sobs beneath a grim smile, "I finally know why this is a curse!"

A bolt of lightning ripped open the clouds, causing the rain to pour down even heavier. Even under the awning, the pair let themselves get soaked right down to their skin. Kazuya held on tight as the raging storm washed away his tears. His brief anger was nothing more than – as Akane said – a fleeting, childish dream. The shivering girl in his arms knew full well that to live, others would have to die. She was still the same gentle Akane he loved; deciding to fight hadn't changed that.

_That's why your heart is in so much pain right now… Akane-chan… I… I will-!_

Suddenly, Kazuya leaned back, shifting his hold to the girl's arms and forcing their eyes to meet.

"I will help you!"

"Ah-?"

"I told you before: I'm a descendant of Raiden. The demon inside you is his pet," he embraced her once more, "If you're going to fight… Then I'll fight with you!"

* * *

"Yes," a monotone, female voice spoke into a cell phone, "Searrs-sama."

"_Excellent work, Miyu!" an older man replied from the other end of the line._

The stoic archer remained still, paying no mind to the weather falling down on her. The tree provided cover from both the rain and her target's field of vision.

"_With this, we will finally have the upper hand in this war!" a sinister grin lit up the man's face._

"Yes, Searrs-sama," the girl scanned the couple in the distance once more, "I will bring you the Rokubi."


	12. Tread Lightly

**XII – Tread Lightly**

Hurried footsteps raced across the tattered grounds of the Fuuka Academy forest. Though she was barely gasping for breath, Nao heaved in frustration. Her eyes darted around, but her enemy was nowhere to be seen.

"So this is how it is, huh?" she muttered aloud, back pressed against a tree and a sinister grin emerging, "Bring it!"

A heavy brown mist seeped from the redhead's pores, and her mere proximity to the tree had caused the wood to rot and crumble down. The girl's breath had turned foul to the point where she was barely able to tolerate it on her human tongue. This was far from over though. Nao's eyes sharpened with demonic sensitivity, giving her the chance to spot the dust rolling on the surface of the ground. Her opponent's attack was fast, but she was faster. A swift kick off the ground was all it took to avoid a churning hole of earth.

However, the four-tailed host had to account for her own ability – or rather, her lack of its control. Nao had landed on a tree branch, dodging yet another hole by escaping to the air, but there were only a few seconds before it too decayed under her feet. The fall was nothing, but being on the ground was dangerous.

"Damn coward…" the girl cursed under her breath as silence fell over the woods.

Something wasn't right about this. It seemed as though, for no reason at all, the enemy had vanished. Nao remained still; using every sense she could to assess the vast surroundings. A scowl showed itself when a dry leaf floated down to the ground in front of her. She was at a disadvantage in these surroundings; after all, it was only a matter of time before the girl's poison would leave a trail of dead trees right to her.

_Tch… Even at this rate I'm risking it. But I'll be too slow if I don't use any of his power…_

Meanwhile, beneath the earth, it was Akira controlling the flow of battle. With her survival on the line, she had to make a move in this battle. Finally, the months of observing her target were paying off. She had always found Nao's behaviour suspicious, but the recent events surrounding Yamazaki Ishiro's illness had all but confirmed it.

_I pity you, Yonbi jinchuuriki… Your power is indeed the worst._

The green-haired girl would not waver in her resolve. With a heart of stone, she opened up another – much larger – crater beneath Nao's feet. She was certain this would end it, and even managed to feel one of her prey's feet get caught in the trap, only to disappear again.

_I can follow you all day. And soon enough that snake will be out to find you._

"Don't fuck with me!" Nao's voice echoed so loud it could even be heard underground, stunning Akira briefly, "You know… a week or so ago I was ready – no, wanting – to die. I don't give a damn about any of the bijuu or their stupid fight. And I care even less about Sokou! You can all go to hell!" The girl clenched her fists up by her sides, ready for battle, "… But if you think for a second I'm gonna let Mikoto shed a single tear because I fucked up and died… Then you don't know shit about me!"

The seven-tailed host blinked beneath the earth. Even with her energy spread throughout the ground of the near area, it shook under the pressure of Nao's crying. It was true: Kaku's ability was neither powerfully offensive nor strong enough to withstand a shout from someone three tiers lower. However, what it was good for, Akira knew how to exploit.

"About time," Nao snarled, turning around to face the figure which was being sculpted from the earth beneath it.

"Nao," the voice was familiar, "I'm sorry I never told you." Green eyes widened as the sight. Bits of dirt were still falling into place, but no doubt about it: that was Mikoto standing in front of her, "We were friends, so I never wanted you to know what I am. But things have changed. I will fight to survive…" amber eyes shone brightly.

"… Hmph," Nao's smirk bared her fangs, unable to restrain the chuckle rising from her chest.

"You laugh?"

"Heh… Of course!"

"Why?" the black-haired girl tilted her head curiously, but could not keep her calm under the sound of her trap reversing.

"'Cause Mikoto is the _Nibi_'s host!"

_Shit!_

Akira barely had the time to deflect the incoming punch. Nao wasted no time, or energy, in her onslaught. Her pursuer had finally shown herself and would not get away so easily now.

"You're gonna pay!" a fist connected with the earthen skin covering Akira's transformed body, "Because if I know one thing in this whole fucked up world…" Nao took a deep inhale, literally sucking the life out of every living thing in a ten metre radius, "It's that Mikoto would never betray me!"

Try as she might, Akira's defense could not hold up against the fearsome breath of pestilence. Nao's roar decimated any trace of her friend's façade and was even powerful enough to melt the more permanent clay which held Akira's male persona. This would be her last chance for a counter attack.

_I won't fail!_

Their close proximity was all Akira had going for her. Quickly, she reached out and grabbed hold of Nao's wrists – wincing at the pain of her flesh rapidly becoming infected. She bared it just as long as she had to in order to pull them both underground before immediately letting go and commanding the earth to pile onto the four-tailed host. While Akira could practically swim in the dirt, Nao was being crushed. Just like the holes that she had been running from earlier, the earth churned and tore at her body with all forms of rocks and debris.

_Damn it… Damn it!_

Green eyes rolled back, unable to withstand the pain on her bones any longer. All remnants of air had long gone, and there was no room for movement within the Shichibi's domain. A few seconds later, when the heat of battle had drifted from Akira's consciousness, the girl let up her attack and pressed her hands to the earth between them.

_Ishi… ro… _There was no trace of a heartbeat. _It's over…_

Fuchsia eyes relaxed, falling to her palms. The skin had been completely corroded and her muscles were clearly diseased. It would take quite a bit of time to fully recover from this, not to mention be a tell-tale sign of a fight between bijuu.

_Though if I'm to believe the past few days… that snake doesn't suspect me. Heh, to think that kid's plan would really work._

Akira sighed in relief and rose to the surface. While what she saw there did not surprise her, the immense amount of rotten foliage required a moment to take in. She hadn't noticed it during the fight, but this really hadn't been a power to take lightly. Had she not been in hiding, there was no way she'd be up here catching her breath right now.

Although she wasn't the only one left breathing.

_My lungs… _Nao's voice rumbled through her mind. _Can inhale any poison… Even my own!_

Venom boiled in the jinchuuriki's blood, and after those few minutes of rest, had made its way into her lungs to be exhaled into the dirt covering her mouth. Nao had been using the earth like an oxygen mask. However, with the ability to inhale any form of toxin, she was able to make a small pocket of reusable air to regain her strength.

_Whoever you are… You're gonna pay… _She took another deep breath. _The skin you touched… will be the death of you… Just like… Everyone else…_

* * *

"And so, regretfully, all classes will be suspended until further notice."

Akane listened from the other side of the paper wall as Kazuya explained to his archery students that they would have to leave the premises. It saddened her nearly as much as it did him; after all, it was because of her that he made this decision. She smiled bleakly to herself, if only for a second.

_But they'll come back one day. I'll get strong and protect this temple… it's... my home._

The girl opened her palm out in front of her, delicately playing with a bit of lightning between her fingers. It was a mild distraction from the disappointed murmurs behind her as well as a reminder. This was her choice, her resolve.

_If fighting is the only way… What choice do I have? If I want to protect Kazu-kun – no, not just him – us, and our future… I was made for this fight._

A deep breath fell from the brunette's lips just as the panel slid open. One by one the students exited. Some were relaxed, others sad, luckily it seemed no one would be devastated over this. Hazel eyes scanned the faces of each and every one of them, and in the end it brought the smile back.

_Mm, for them, I'll make sure I make it out of this._

"They were surprised," the boy's voice caught her attention, "But overall they took it well."

Akane turned around and got to her feet, nodding with relief for a second before she was embraced. It had become a bit of a habit the past few days. She would always smile to bring out her strength, but no one – not even a jinchuuriki – had the strength to bear such a weight. Only in Kazuya's arms was she able to feel… human. It was alright if her smile faded here, because he would shoulder the burden – if only for a few seconds.

While it had appeared that all of the students had left, the couple soon noticed their oversight. They had been too caught up in their own thoughts and failed to see one still remained. Standing at the far end of the room, stoic as ever, was Kazuya's best – albeit most enigmatic – student. The boy turned, put on a smile and non-chalantly rubbed the back of his head.

"Ah, Miyu-san, are you able to make arrangements to get home?"

Akane merely glanced back and forth between the two.

"Yes."

"Good, I'm sorry for the short notice, really. Especially for those of you who lived here. I hope it won't cause your parents any trouble."

"It is my father's wish that I return home now."

"Oh?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Along with Higurashi-sama," the girl gave a small bow, lifting her hand to her heart with respect.

"M-me…?" the brunette stuttered nervously, taken aback by the sudden declaration just as Kazuya took a firm step between them.

"We, the Searrs Foundation, mean no harm. In fact, we share a mutual desire." Miyu lifted her head to face the other girl, "Higurashi-sama's strength is a priority, yes?"

"What are you saying?" she replied, anxiety shivering off her tongue, "What do you know?"

"I have been sent here to Fuuka by the Searrs Foundation to retrieve you: the Rokubi."

Both Akane and Kazuya froze, surprised and slightly fearful as to what this meant. There were no doubts in Miyu's words, and her tone seemed neutral if anything. From the looks of it, she was simply following orders and wasn't the real threat here. But yet, here she was. Perhaps she was only a messenger, but the message she brought was concerning to say the least.

"How do you… Why? What do you want with me?"

"There are certain groups of humans who have not forgotten the legends from centuries ago. While to most these battles fade into fiction, there was once a time when certain families would use the bijuu for war against other humans."

"You want her to be a weapon for your own selfish desires?" Kazuya grit his teeth, in pure disbelief at what his former student had been doing all this time.

"Call it what you will, but in this time only two of such families remain. And in this time they rose to become conglomerates:" red eyes wouldn't even blink, "The First District, and the Searrs Foundation."

"Why do you want me to fight for you?" Akane's fist trembled at her side.

"Searrs' score to settle with The First District is personal, and vice versa. Searrs-sama only asked that I acquire the Rokubi. Should you eliminate The First District's jinchuuriki before she eliminates you, Searrs-sama will be pleased." Akane blinked, and just as she was in mid-step backing away, Miyu continued, "You would defeat her regardless, would you not?"

"I… If I had to…"

"In exchange for the personal gain Searrs-sama will receive from your victory, you will receive the training you need in a state of the art facility that is specifically designed for your abilities. Fight the battle you have already decided to fight – do so under the Searrs Foundation banner, and you will be supported by a man who desires your victory as much as you do."

Kazuya glanced over at the girl he loved, unease laden in his eyes. She continued to stare at the wooden planks beneath their feet, breathing slowly as she contemplated the situation. _Akane-chan…_

"I wanted to get stronger to defend myself, not to defeat the others," she looked up again, "But… I also realize that in some cases a pre-emptive strike is the only way to defend yourself."

"Precisely."

The girl took a deep breath, "I have some conditions: First, Kazu-kun will come with me."

"Arrangements have already been made. Raiden is not only welcome, but ideal to accompany you."

"Second: I will only deliberately defeat one jinchuuriki. You are asking me to take a life, not of a demon, but of an innocent person. Someone just like me."

"We are aware. The Searrs Foundation has only one target," Miyu pulled out her phone, flipping it open to a stealthily-shot photograph of a familiar face. Akane's eyes widened in shock and her mouth gaped open ever so slightly, "The First District's Gobi: Kuga Natsuki."

* * *

"Hey," Natsuki greeted, casually entering the student council room, "Ready for lunch?"

Shizuru blinked at the voice and glanced quickly to see her girlfriend standing there, informal as ever. What normally would have brought a smile to her face, instead only brought a mild indifference. Loving the girl made it difficult to feel anger towards her, but if her suspicions were true, she had every right to be.

"Natsuki," she spoke all-too-calmly while standing up at her desk, "When I was resting yesterday, you said you would go to class, didn't you?"

The younger girl stiffened up. Part fear and part guilt forced her muscles to tense and mind to find the words. Had it been anything else, she could have gotten away with it. Even if she had insisted on staying by Shizuru's side that day, this wouldn't have happened. But Natsuki hadn't forgotten the girl's words, or her opinion of Mai. She hadn't anticipated ever feeling this way. After all, Shizuru was the one to socialize her in the first place and was always in favour of her getting out more.

_But why Mai? What has she done? Why do you hate her?_

"Well?"

_It's no use. Shit, she knows I was with her. Damn it. I have no choice._

"The attendance records show that you and Tokiha-san, who never skips class, were both not in school yesterday. Is this a coincidence?"

Before Shizuru could get her answer, Natsuki closed in at demonic speed, gripping her shoulders tight and shoving her against the chalkboard. Their gazes locked, and in the blink of an eye, Shizuru's reality had altered. The stare had become one of an icy haze, with a strange mist clouding the crimson eyed girl's vision. Her lips barely gaped apart, completely lulled by Natsuki's soft voice.

_I'm so sorry…_

"Shizuru, yesterday you tried to get me to go to class, but I wanted to take care of you. You put up a bit of a fight, but I insisted and you eventually gave in. We spent the day together…" her voice choked up a little, "Yeah, we talked and I cooked for you. Heh, it actually turned out fine, or even if it didn't you still ate it for my sake. It was like when we first got together. Remember?"

"Mm…" the bleary-eyed president nodded.

"Yesterday, it was like we fell in love all over again…" a tear rolled down her cheek, "You'll never forget it."

"Of course not, I love Natsuki…"

"I love you too…"

And just like that, all memory of the truth had vanished from Shizuru's mind. Her consciousness had begun to return and she soon found herself looking into her love's emerald eyes. Confused by their sadness, she reached up to cup the girl's cheek in her palm, wiping away the lone tear.

"What's the matter?" Shizuru tilted her head with a hopeful smile, just barely getting Natsuki to do the same.

"It's nothing," she tried even harder, "I just had a rough day. That's all. I'm glad to be here with you now."

Her smile became more genuine, and with their fingers entangled, Natsuki pressed her forehead against Shizuru's. _Forgive me…_

* * *

"Come on, Akira-kun," the young brunette boy coaxed, "You have to eat something, otherwise you won't get better."

"I'm not sick," the green-haired girl – well, boy for the time being – rolled onto his side with a groan.

"I'm not mad at you for fighting, if that's what you're worried about."

"Why would I be worried about that!" he immediately snapped back, although the furious blush only spurred on a giggle from the other boy.

"I understand that you have to," Takumi looked down sadly, "I just don't want you to get hurt."

"It happens," Akira shrugged and rolled back, looking at his heavily bandaged hands, "Demons are fast healers."

"It sure is taking a long time then, don't these things usually happen instantly?"

"Heh, maybe if it was something of this world… but Sokou's poison is another thing entirely."

Akira took a deep breath through his aching lungs. _I can't tell him... This isn't going to heal._

A moment of silence fell between them then. Takumi was hesitant as ever about prying into his friend's life, but at the same time his concern was drawing him closer to wanting answers. The boy next to him was scarred in a way he would never understand. It was something he had accepted. Which was why, despite his solemn smile, Takumi knelt beside the bed and wrapped his arms around the boy's shoulders.

"Ah," Akira was about to protest, but – perhaps because of the pain – just this once, the contact made him feel comforted.

"Please be careful," the boy's words were slightly muffled into the sheets, "I… don't want to lose you."

The girl within the shell of a boy felt an ache rise in her heart. The thought had been automatic a few nights ago, but now – actually thinking about it – the truth worried her. _I don't want to lose you either…_

"Takumi?"

"Hm?"

"Your sister… she cares a lot about Minagi Mikoto, does she not?"

"Heheh, yeah," Takumi gave a lopsided smile to the back of Akira's head, "Don't tell her, but I get a little jealous sometimes."

"You really love your sister…" Unlike before, this time Akira seemed completely sincere in his words. It wasn't meant to tease, to joke about Takumi's clingy behaviour; but genuine concern. The tone of which was not lost on the boy, "Minagi Mikoto is a jinchuuriki."

He felt the arms tighten and could hear the short gasp against the back of his neck, "Onee-chan…"

"I doubt your sister knows. And I doubt she's in any danger. The whole reason we jinchuuriki exist is to give a human mind to these demon souls and keep them from killing innocent people. That's the same no matter who we are – it's our purpose."

"But if Mikoto dies, Onee-chan will be devastated."

"Takumi…" Akira finally rolled over, face to face with the boy's sad eyes, "Mikoto is the host of the two-tailed demon… theoretically, she's the second weakest."

Tears welled up in his eyes, "So… she doesn't stand a chance?"

There was no easy way to reply honestly, but Akira knew it was the only way to make things even remotely right. She couldn't say for any of the other jinchuuriki, but she hadn't been abandoned by her family. They knew from the start that her mother would die passing the demon onto her child and raised Akira accordingly. She had been training her whole life for this moment: to win the fight and survive. That's why she was told to keep her distance from others. It was only Takumi who had ever managed to break through that barrier. For that reason alone, she would never lie to him, "Not against me."

Akira didn't wait for a reaction, he recoiled instantly, bracing for the emotional impact of Takumi's rage. There was no way this would not strike a nerve in him.

_So… why?_

The deep purple eyes remained opened, stunned by a kiss on her cheek. It was only for a split second, but in that moment the girl's heart had nearly leapt out of her chest. She never wanted it to come to this; of all people Takumi should not have been backed into a corner like this. But still…

_He… made a choice…?_

"Akira-kun," Takumi whimpered, "Don't lose!"

"But… your sister…"

"I know! After all she's done for me, how can I…" his bloodshot eyes finally opened, "But I told you! I don't want to lose you!"

Akira stared long and hard, unable to find the words. Truth be told she was unsure if saying anything would be fair right now. She would ultimately be the cause of his sister's unhappiness, and yet now, in all this mess of emotions he had put her first. While replacing Mai had never been her intention, Akira could tell that it had already happened. There was no backing out now.

"So don't lose!" Takumi pulled the other boy into a passionate embrace, holding tightly when he felt the injured hands reach around his back.

Finally, he heard the words for which he had put everything on the line.

"Yeah," Akira muttered through her own tears, "I won't lose!"

* * *

The shining sun did nothing for the sombre mood clouding the entirety of Fuuka Academy. Every student had, at some point during the day, heard the news regarding their favourite teacher's death. The school had finally got permission to release the news to the public, and eventually the grapevine did its work in reaching everyone. The usual bustle between classrooms had become quiet steps of mourning.

Above it all was Mikoto, lying on her side amongst a clowder of stray cats, staring at the ambient rays of light casting shadows on her fingers. She would always come to this spot on the rooftop whenever she needed peace and quiet, but it seemed that her mind had other plans today. With every breath she tried to calm the faint voices she heard from below; her sensitive ears perfectly capable of following a conversation from such a distance.

Shutting her eyes wouldn't do it either, and neither would clawing at the concrete.

_I did it again! _Her fist clenched, _Like with Mama… and Grandpa. _The girl covered her teary eyes, _I couldn't stop it! I can't stop!_

"Make it stop!" Mikoto's grip switched to her ears, blocking out as much sound as she could.

The girl had been so lost in her maddening thoughts that she failed to notice the swift appearance of her redheaded friend. The whimpering was interrupted by a sudden gasp at the touch on her shoulder. Bloodshot eyes widened on reflex, fearing an enemy, but relaxed a half-second later. Her instincts had flipped her onto all fours, ready to fight, but when she looked into those bright green eyes, Mikoto's clenched heart forced her to her knees again.

"I figured you'd be up here," Nao said gently, shifting her gaze to the horizon instead of making her friend feel like she was being stared at.

"It's my fault," the girl's twin black braids moved as she shook, "Everyone is sad because of me!"

"I'm not."

Amber eyes finally looked up again, locked on the way the soft breeze brushed the other girl's hair against her cheek. Nao's expression was stern, but by no means angry; she was merely serious. Her crossed arms were normal, and if anything brought comfort to Mikoto, whose first smile of the day came from the reassuring words.

"Don't blame yourself, because I'm happy you saved my life." Nao knelt down, placing a hand on the cat-girl's shoulder, "I told you before, how thankful I am that – even when I was ready to give up – I still had a friend who cared about me. Besides," her warm gaze turned to a glare to the pavement, "It's not the first time either of us has killed someone."

Mikoto's trembling was repressed only by the lingering touch of Nao's hand. It was the cold, hard truth – no matter how much she hated it, "Nao… Whatever this fight is… I killed first. Everything was fine before. Being here, in Fuuka, it felt right. But now, all I feel is-"

"Fear," the girl finished, "I feel it too."

There was a lull of understanding between the two, and the silence alone was calming enough. Nao had since gotten to her feet and walked over to the ledge, leaning her arms on the railing around the rooftop. Mikoto took a few extra seconds to collect herself and wipe away the tears with her sleeve before joining the other girl. Together, they looked out over the vast grounds of their school, observing what they could to keep their minds from spinning.

"I wonder what'll happen now…" the redhead mused aloud, "Maybe the only reason we're afraid is because we've spent our whole lives being invincible. A normal person's no match for us, but the game's changed now."

"Mm," Mikoto nodded, "That's all this is right? To them, I mean."

"Heh, I'll bet," Nao scoffed, though it was followed with a sigh, "It's just a game."


	13. If I Go Crazy

**XIII – If I Go Crazy**

"So, will that be all for today?" Reito asked, adjusting a small pile of forms he had been organizing during their meeting.

"Yes, I believe so," the president responded with a smile as she closed her own set of folders.

"It's good to have you back, Haruka," the boy added, looking over to the blonde who merely huffed with pride.

"Don't worry, work will start getting done around here again!"

Even Shizuru gave a quiet chuckle amongst the others' laughter. It was nice to have a day where the group was together again, because despite what people thought, they really had a good dynamic. The girl sipped her tea and silently observed the other three prepare to leave; she kept the same smile, yet its tone had changed.

"Suzushiro-san? Would you mind staying behind a moment? Just to discuss things that you missed while away?" Shizuru tilted her head calmly.

"Eh? Oh sure," the girl took her seat again, as did the brunette beside her.

"I'll see you three tomorrow then!" With a brief wave, Reito took his leave and shut the sliding door behind him. It appeared he also took the last remnants of the carefree atmosphere with him. The silence was unnerving enough, but more than ever Shizuru's expression had become impossible to read. The remaining couple stared in confusion as their superior pulled out another folder from the bottom of the pile.

"Suzushiro-san, you have fully recovered?"

Haruka wouldn't be one to take this strange feeling lightly, not after all that's happened to them, "Yeah, it was just a bad flu."

"Strange it was just you and no one else in the school, let alone Kikukawa-san with whom you share a room." Crimson eyes glanced down at the papers, reading over the scribbled notes and rough sketches the pair's portraits.

"Come on, I know I'm not one to talk about picking fights but do you honestly want to accuse me of skipping?"

"You know Haruka-chan has always done her best for this council and the academy, to assume such-" the brunette was cut off.

"Of course not," Shizuru looked back up, "I am merely trying to assess the situation."

"Huh?"

"I seem to have made a major oversight," the girl stood up, holding firm behind her desk, "With you two right in front of me this whole time."

The blonde frowned, stepping in front of Yukino, "What are you talking about?" Haruka asked, receiving a sigh in response.

"I believe you two had a run in with Sugiura-sensei?"

"Didn't _you_?" Haruka practically snarled back, their circumstances were becoming clear.

"Ah, yes, I did," the president glanced up to the broken wall at the far end of the council room, "I suppose it's a good thing they never ended up fixing that. It would have been a waste."

"Ugh!" the blonde clenched her fists, "Could you be clear for once in your life!"

Shizuru tilted her head again, her smile overflowing with confidence. Haruka had asked, and she would be answered; and in a split second, the haunting atmosphere fell on the trio with its true gravity.

"I'm going to kill you."

* * *

"Takumi!"

The boy turned immediately when he heard the familiar voice call his name. It had been a long time since he had seen his sister; he couldn't help but smile on reflex. Although as quickly as it came, it disappeared. Clinging to the redhead's back was the energetic black-haired cat-girl who would hardly leave Mai's side.

_Mikoto… _Luckily his expression went unnoticed by the older girl who jogged up beside him.

"I feel like I haven't seen you in forever!" she didn't think before pulling him into a big hug.

The boy made a light grunt of discomfort at first, more out of surprise, but soon enough his smile returned. He wouldn't admit it anymore, certainly not to Akira, but Mai's hugs were always the best. For the longest time Takumi adored his sister above all else, but somewhere along the lines the whole logic of his life had changed.

_Onee-chan… _He nestled his head on her shoulder, fully aware that his forehead was brushing against Mikoto's arm. Nothing about this was kind, sweet, or easy. The boy finally stepped back from the girl with regained composure, trying his best to put up a positive front.

"How about we all go for a picnic? It's such a nice day out!" Mai glanced over to the glass doorway. It was true. The sun was shining; there was a light breeze to keep the temperature pleasant, perfect weather for spending the rest of the afternoon outside.

"Yay! Picnic! With Mai's food!" Mikoto beamed and was petted on the head as had become habit.

"Mm, yeah."

He had to say something. Takumi didn't want his sister to worry, or even know any of this. So if smiling and spending the afternoon just the three of them would be some sort of recompense for his silence, he would do it. And if he could see Mai smiling… that might be the only thing to ease the heartache – that is, if it didn't make it worse.

_It's hard to tell this girl is like Akira-kun… She's so happy. She makes Onee-chan so happy… _Takumi's gaze fell to the pavement as they stepped outside, stopping briefly in front of the academy's main doors. Mai and Mikoto were casually discussing what kind of food they wanted to get from their room, and the boy was nodding along agreeably, lost in his thoughts. _Why does Onee-chan have to be sad…? Why… does Mikoto have to die?_

Suddenly, all thoughts of sadness were shoved aside from the sounds above them. The trio stared up upon hearing something akin to an explosion. Their jaws dropped at the sight: out of nowhere, the wall of the second floor had broken apart! Massive chunks of concrete soared through the dusty air, nearly about to crush them when they had been shoved to the ground.

"Get down!" Reito shouted, leaping into the fray and grabbing both Mai and Takumi. No one could catch a glimpse of what was going on, only saw the older boy's silhouette hovering over them and covered in debris. His black uniform had practically turned grey from all the powdered concrete. The four were caught in a slight coughing fit, although the sounds were muffled by the continual fall of shattered building.

"We need to get out of here!" Reito stood up quickly, offering Mai a hand.

"Takumi-"

"I've got him!" the boy had already knelt down to pick up the girl's brother, fully aware of his health conditions, "Run!"

Before they knew it, the two middle-schoolers had been whisked away to safety. Although the knowledge of what was going on was not lost on either of them. Destruction of this intensity was surely a fight between bijuu; and while Takumi was powerless, Mikoto couldn't restrain herself anymore.

"Mikoto!" Mai shouted, feeling the girl detach from her back.

"You keep going! I'll protect Mai!" Before anyone could say anything, the black-haired girl had rushed into the dust clouds with Mai ready to chase after her.

"What is she-" Mai's wrist was grabbed.

"Onee-chan!"

"Mai-san!"

More crashing could be heard from above, it seemed as though the whole second floor was being ripped through like paper. The girl was stunned by the sight, being pulled away hard by Reito's hand, "We'll be crushed if we don't get out of here!"

"Reito-san!"

"Once you two are safe I'll search for her," his amber eyes made his deep concern clear, "I promise."

"But she's just a kid!"

"Onee-chan!" Takumi's eyes were shut tight, forcing back his emotions as he tried to find the words, "She'll be alright, we don't have time to argue. Just trust me."

"Come on!" Reito urged as a sudden blast of water shattered a set of nearby windows, raining down broken glass.

Mai raised her other arm to block the debris and attempt to narrow her vision. Not only was there no sign of Mikoto, who was already amidst the chaos – but the pathway had been blocked off by both rubble and panicked students escaping the building. There really was nothing she could do. _Mikoto… Please be alright…_

* * *

It was a much quieter scene inside the Fuuka City Hospital. Even if Nao was surrounded by bustling nurses, an array of sick people, and ambulance sirens… it all seemed quiet to her. None of these people mattered, only one who was lying in a bed three floors up. The redhead moved seamlessly through the crowds of the emergency room entrance and found a set of elevators. She was a bit suspicious, completely alone and heading up to the long-term care rooms, but no one she passed seemed to care. It wasn't uncommon for someone wandering these halls to be saddened – everyone was there visiting a loved one with a serious condition.

Nao smirked through her emotions, feeling disgustingly in place amongst the hopelessness. The only time she even raised her head was to cautiously look into the room she had been searching for. She leaned against the small glass window, unconsciously grinding her teeth together at the sight. It had been so long since she had even seen him, and it seemed as though there was no improvement in his condition.

_Ishiro… _With a heavy sigh, Nao snuck into the boy's room. She didn't want anyone to know she had come; she was even having doubts about herself.

"There's something I need to say," she pulled a chair up to his bedside and hunched over, "Can you even hear me?"

Though her tone was brash as usual, no one would question the sincerity in her words.

"I got into a fight recently. Well, two since you last saw me. I nearly died both times. You know what will happen to you when I die, right? You'll get better. The pain you're in now will turn into a distant memory, just like me." Nao gripped the sheets, "See, I'm stuck in a fight to the death that I don't even care about winning. But I care about Mikoto too much to just give up. I have to do my best, because for some reason I mean a lot to her. But this is the last time I'm ever gonna see you... I'm not making it out of this alive."

Not even her infuriated scowl could hold back the tears from falling down her cheek, "Heh, see? If you'd gotten to know me better you'd see I'm really just a selfish jerk."

With a huff and a subtle sniff, the girl stood up and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. She walked a few steps toward the door, only to turn back one last time, "Goodbye, Ishiro…" she smirked once more, "I didn't find you that annoying."

* * *

_Clean… but dreary… _That's what Akane thought as she stepped lightly through the crisp halls of the Searrs facility. Kazuya remained silent at her side and Miyu led the way. As expected, they did not travel out of Fuuka, although it had been a strange journey all the same. Being so enclosed like this, the girl was beginning to lose faith in the corporation. Akane raised a gentle hand to her chest, a subtle attempt to ease the twinge of doubt.

This place certainly embodied the Searrs Foundation's wealth, but Kazuya could sense the girl's wavering feelings on the value of this "wealth." He had come along to help her and support her decision, and that was _his_ decision.

Hand in hand, Kazuya and Akane were led down the dreadfully plain hallway of the Searrs facility. Their belongings had been taken at the door, and they had been treated as nothing short of the most esteemed guests. Yet, despite the perceived hospitality, it was clear this was a business arrangement. Miyu's stoicism was unlike her usual demeanour; as if she were more comfortable with it than before. She had always been quiet, but now the couple knew it was because of a mission.

_But here... she's in her territory... _The brunette narrowed her eyes at the girl's back, only to glance away when the steely gaze turned back for a second.

"We are here."

"And where is here, exactly?" Kazuya gripped tight to his girlfriend's hand.

"The training area," Miyu answered, facing them both while standing firmly in front of a secure doorway, "Searrs-sama awaits you. You will be shown to your quarters after speaking with him."

Akane's nervous behaviour was the reason for hesitation on the other girl's part. Silence took over, all aware that this was the true point of no return. This would be her last chance to step back and change her mind, "I'd be lying if I said I hadn't wavered... but..."

"Will you do as Searrs-sama asks?"

"I will," Akane stood firmly, holding onto Kazuya's hand, "Even if Kuga-san is - no, was - a classmate. I knew that when I first made the decision to fight, that there was a chance I would have to fight my friends."

"You are all casualties of the same war, Higurashi-sama."

"I'm sure Kuga-san has her reasons to fight. But so do I," she turned to the boy.

"Akane-chan..."

"I want to protect you; us," she faced Miyu with a deep stare, "I will fight."

With the gentle bow of her head, the stone cold girl entered a key code into the pad beside the door. A rough unhinging was heard within the mechanism and in a few seconds, the path was clear. Miyu walked more quickly than the other two, seeing her master standing in the distance. Akane and Kazuya, however, had to take a moment to simply absorb the sight. To be honest, neither had noticed the man once they stepped onto… ground?

"This… this is…" the brunette's mouth gaped open.

The couple had stepped into a massive room – if it could be called that, it looked more like an arena. The flooring was in fact not a floor of any kind. Instead it was packed solid earth. Akane sprinted to the nearest wall, needing to indulge her curiosity. She touched the black material with wide eyes, pressing into it as far as it would go before removing her hand.

"Rubber," she muttered aloud, only to be caught by Kazuya's slight gasp.

"Akane-chan, look," he pointed up and her gaze followed.

Jutting out from the ceiling were groups of giant metal poles, they didn't cross each other, but instead were all aimed at the ground – at them.

"Lightning rods, Six-Tails," both teenagers turned to the older man's voice.

He approached them casually, with a smile and welcoming gestures – all too happy that he had gotten a hold of the prize he sought. Although his age appeared to slow him down and rattle his movements, he had clearly been filled with energy by merely being in Akane's presence.

"Yes, yes… I have had this training area built specifically for you. I have been waiting for so long," his voice grew scratchy, followed by a cough.

"Searrs-sama," Miyu rested a hand on his back, allowing him to brace against her arm.

"Thank you," Akane instinctively bowed her head to her elder, but the man was quick to remind her of the circumstances.

"No! Thank you! Your sacrifice means a great deal to me, Six-Tails."

"May I ask something?" the girl sighed, taking one more look around at everything that had been made for her benefit.

"Of course."

"Why me?"

"Ohoho! Because The First District foolishly caught the Five-tails first! Had they gotten to you, I would be at a real disadvantage. The Seven-tails is always hidden – even today we don't know which family they represent, or if they've grown independent. And of course, the Eight- and Nine-tails are out of the question."

"So it is like Miyu-san said… You have a personal rivalry with this First District. If I defeat Kuga-san, it will be a win for you?"

"Ah there is no need to know the details, my dear. It is but two old men squabbling over an ageless war. Nevertheless, as one of only two remaining family lines, I must uphold the honour and continue to participate in this silly game."

"What!" Kazuya shouted, stepping in front of Akane protectively, "You're really just in this for honour? Don't you get that there are lives on the line here? Silly game… To say such things in front of Akane-chan…"

The girl's delicate hand wrapped around his tightly balled fist, "It's alright, Kazu-kun. After all, he has done us a great service by allowing us to train here."

"Ah of course! Let me explain the facility!" he took a step back and began pointing to the various aspects, "This room is actually designed to hinder your abilities to the fullest. Dirt floor, rubber walls, and – as I explained before – the lightning rods, all of these will block or absorb lightning."

"Then… how?"

The man emitted a mischievous chuckle and began walking back behind them, followed by Miyu. Both Akane and Kazuya watched in mild confusion – an action they would very quickly come to regret. Before they knew it, the door had shut and the sound of electronic code randomizing echoed throughout the arena.

"Hey! What's going on?" the boy shouted, gripping Akane's hand tightly.

"You have shown your resolve to fight, Six-Tails. But to truly be of use to me – and yourself – you must prove your resolve to live."

"What?" Kazuya snarled at the disembodied voice over loud speakers.

"This room is designed to absorb, redirect and otherwise nullify lightning. And the only way for you two to get out is to reduce it to rubble."

"That's… I can't… Why did you do this?!" Akane shouted, tears streaming down her face.

"Oh, I believe you can. If you want to have any chance at defeating the Five-Tails you must assure that your lightning will be stronger than hers."

"What are you talking about? Only Akane-chan can control lightning!"

"Hm? What makes you say that, young Raiden? Did you think the Five-Tails was only about illusions?"

Kazuya grit his teeth.

"The dog demon's power is – hm, how to put it? – versatility? In addition to illusions, each tail wields the power of a certain element. It is not something to take lightly. She can change her elemental properties in an instant and can control all five at once if she wishes. So it would be a shame if Raijuu lost to a weaker demon's lightning."

"You're insane! Let us out!" Kazuya shouted.

"Well that would defeat the purpose of this training now wouldn't it? Honestly, there is no need to get so riled up. If the Six-Tails cannot break free from these confines on her own, she would lose in battle anyway. This facility is completely secure; no one even knows where it is. Certainly, no one is getting in – this is the safest place for you right now."

Without another word, the audio feed shut off, leaving the two alone.

"No…" Akane's voice quivered as she fell to her knees, "This can't be…"

She could barely see Kazuya in her periphery, still standing firmly to guard her, but even he was shaking with rage. Had they just stayed on their own, none of this would have happened. The boy continued to mentally berate himself for not speaking up sooner. He knew it; he could tell that something was wrong this whole time. _But my compliance is what got us into this… It's because of me that Akane-chan-_

"_Will to live?_" the girl whispered, dropping the hands which had since been covering her weeping eyes, revealing their golden glow, "I told you before… That I did not want to fight. I wanted to train so that I could defend myself," Akane rose to her feet, bits of dirt falling from her legs, "My will to live is my reason to fight! Not the other way around!"

"Akane…-chan…?"

The boy stared at the thin body, watching it crackle with electricity. Akane was still breathing heavily, whether out of sadness or anger, it was hard to tell at this point. But one thing was clear. She took a few steps in front of Kazuya, glaring straight into the lens of one of the surveillance cameras.

"Don't worry, Kazu-kun," she clenched her fists, forcing a burst of lightning out from her knuckles, "I'll definitely get us out of here!"

* * *

By now the streets of Fuuka were being decimated as fast as they were being evacuated. Car alarms, abandoned shops with broken storefronts, shards of glass jutting out everywhere you looked – this was a textbook battle zone.

"Yukino!"

"Ah!"

The pair of girls had come flying out of a cloud of dust, tossed downhill like lifeless rag dolls. Battered and broken, they would not give up; even with this gap in power both Yukino and Haruka had found the strength to stand up again. The asphalt trembled under the weight of their enemy's steps, making it all too clear that they were being toyed with.

"What do you think she wants?" the brunette asked between coughs.

"To kill us, obviously. But how do we fight back against something like this? She's a goddamn monster!"

"Is this really the weakness of being the Sanbi?"

They would not have more than a few seconds to rest, as the silhouette in the distance indicated. Those shining blood red eyes struck the deepest of fear within the girls, and her serpentine gait resonated only a fraction of her power. And while she never did like it, it was plain to Yukino's darkening eyes that there was only one way to stand a chance.

"Haruka-chan," her voice had deepened, "Try to conserve energy, we're going to need it."

The blonde nodded with a grimace, shifting her gaze from the sight of Yukino's partial transformation to the girl emerging from the debris.

"Ara, who would have thought you could turn into a shark. Well done at keeping your identity hidden," Shizuru sauntered down the street.

"I wasn't trying to hide it," the brunette growled through her rows of teeth, "I wasn't _trying_ to be kind! But you…"

"It doesn't surprise me in the slightest, Fujino," Haruka's arm fell over her abdomen in an attempt to ease the pain of her fall, "That you've always been a snake."

"Such words for someone so beaten up, considering you're on the better end of a two-on-one fight," Shizuru's smile hadn't let up since the first strike, "Although really… Eight versus three is unfair."

"Why are you doing this- AH!" Yukino was silenced by another forceful blow to the pavement.

From the moment they had escaped the academy grounds, the Sanbi pair had been on the run, continually being beaten and thrown with ease. Shizuru had transformed one of her arms into a rather large snake, literally destroying the area single-handedly. The serpent's head had always been aiming for the smaller of the two girls every time it dove in for an attack, but the Hachibi's host was certainly holding back in terms of speed; which is what continually allowed her opponents to jump further back and out of the way.

"Haruka…-chan…" Yukino choked out, bent backwards of the hood of a car.

"Y-yeah…?" the girl replied from the middle of the broken roadway.

"… We can make it."

Violet eyes opened weakly and turned to the painful sight of the girl prying herself out of the dented metal. A grin formed on her lips and her hands balled into fists which were firmly planted on the ground.

"Yeah," this was no time to be getting depressed, the blonde affirmed in her mind, using her remaining strength to lift her weary body out of the rubble crater she had made.

There was a familiar scent in the air; the further they got pushed back, the stronger it got. The shark-girl walked over to her partner, holding onto her hand as they caught their final glimpse of their former-superior. Only when Shizuru had stepped out of the dust had she too realized her miscalculation, eyes widening in shocked frustration at the same time the other two smirked with pride. That scent…

_The ocean!_

"Tch! I won't let you get that far!"

"Just try!" Haruka shouted back, taking Yukino by the hand and daring to turn her back to the eight-tailed host.

With all their might, the Sanbi pair launched their bodies towards their destination. Each step sent them bounding forward, racing to the water. Whoever got there first would determine the outcome of the battle, and Shizuru had no intention of giving it up that fast. The three rushed as fast as they could, their goal in plain sight along the horizon; and it all came down to these final seconds.

At the same time as both Haruka and Yukino leapt off the edge of the wooden dock and into the safety of the water, two massive snakes slammed down and crushed it to pieces. The girl's crimson eyes were deathly focused on the receding waves, desperate to find a single trace of her prey. _I will kill you! I will protect Natsuki!_

Until a voice howled in the distance, "Shizuru!"

... And the waters fell still.


	14. Strays

**A/N: Sorry for the delay! I had a very busy week. Finally, Natsuki's storyline is beginning!**

**XIV - Strays**

Broken planks of wood floated amongst the settling waves. There was no more battle to be had here, only the remnants of destruction were to follow. Nothing more than a gentle breeze and the calls of a few seagulls could be heard over the waves splashing against the concrete ledge. The sky had clouded over with a grey haze, bringing with it the winds of a coming storm which brushed midnight tresses against the girl's frozen skin.

"Shizu… ru…" Emerald eyes could not believe what they were seeing. It had to be some kind of deception, there was simply no way… _Why… Why is she…? _"You… can't be…"

The obsidian serpents began to slowly recoil out of the surf – lifelessly dragging over the broken asphalt and returning to the form the Shizuru's arms. Droplets of water fell from her trembling hands, unable to move from the moment she heard that voice call out her name. It took all of her might to finally face the frightened gaze of her dearest one – with crimson eyes whose glow would simply not disappear.

"Natsuki…" the name had been hissed by accident.

The sound of her name only served to frighten the girl even more. And those eyes… She had only ever seen them as loving. The passionate, deep colour had never once welled up such fear in her. Natsuki could only watch in awe at the way Shizuru stood before her, just as still and silent. Just as afraid.

"You're… one too…?"

"Natsuki, I," her voice shook, "You weren't supposed to see this… to see _me_ like this…"

"But you are… aren't you?" There was only silence. Somewhere deep in the girl's heart, Shizuru couldn't bring herself to say it out loud. Not to Natsuki… anyone but her, "A jinchuuriki," her eyes shot wide open, "And you caused this much destruction!"

"Natsuki, wait!" Shizuru reached out, causing the girl to take a step back. _Natsuki… fears me…_

"No!" the younger girl shouted, moving even further away.

"Don't go!"

On pure instinct to pull Natsuki back, Shizuru's outstretched arm burst with three snakes. However this was only interpreted as an attack, forcing the girl back even further.

"Stay back!" the shout was accompanied by a razor sharp wind which sliced the heads from each snake in an instant.

"Natsuki!" Shizuru leapt forward with demonic speed, only to be blocked by a wall of fire.

"Leave me alone!" she screamed, tears now falling freely onto the pavement.

"Natsuki! No! Don't go!" came the desperate cries from the other side of the flames.

They burned thick and mighty, fuelled by the strongest of emotions. Soon, Shizuru could not even make out the other's figure; and while she dared to step through the fire, she was forced to stop. The worst realization of all came when the girl dropped to her knees, shivering with utmost regret and pain. The realization that even if she crossed this wall of fire…

_She's gone… _Shizuru's hand was brought up to cover her lips on reflex while repetitively mouthing the girl's name. It was all but a whisper in the chaos. Nothing could bring her back now. _There is nothing… I have nothing… Without Natsuki… I am…_

"_You are still my host, girl," the eight-headed serpent hissed in her mind._

Shizuru could practically feel the scales coil around her throat: the feeling of suffocating in powerlessness. The wall of flame was reflected in her glossy eyes, continually searching for the girl beyond it. She had never imagined a world without Natsuki – such an idea was always too painful to bear. Everything until now had been an illusion of her own doing, not Natsuki's.

"I can't live without Natsuki…" the words dripped off her lips with painful ease, "Yes… I must get her back…"

"_Hm? And how do you intend to do that?" the snake asked with a scoff._

"Tell me how," the scarlet eyes which once shone brilliantly had dulled to the brown of dried blood.

"_Well you could always overpower her," Orochi hissed when he felt the girl's heart break at the mere thought of such a thing, "Or maybe…"_

"What?"

"_Surely she can't hate you if you got rid of all of her enemies," a forked tongue flicked over the back of her neck, "People who could hurt her, who will hurt her… who _have_ hurt her."_

"The First District," somehow, Shizuru had found the strength to stand once more, "Yes… They will pay for what they have done to her."

"_All the experiments, the isolation, the lies she was told… Such a meddlesome organization should be exterminated."_

"Yes," chestnut bangs swayed in the wind, "Wait for me, Natsuki…"

Her dead gaze remained hypnotized by the flames as her smile twitched unconsciously. The whispers in her mind would tell her the way. All she had to do was follow the path of a killer; and it all began with this single step away from the burning wall.

"Don't worry, Natsuki, I love you… I will kill them all… I will rid your world of The First District for real. And when I get back, I will kill the other jinchuuriki…" She wandered through the concrete wreckage, "I'll be with you again soon..."

* * *

Students had been rushing out of the building since the start of the battle on the second floor, making it all the more difficult to navigate. Though it was clear the participants were no longer present, Mikoto had to find out what was going on for herself. The girl was walking against the current of frantic classmates evacuating until she got to the broken foyer. By then it seemed as though most had made it out, leaving the dreadful scene in their wake. A few remained, staggering behind the larger group but only one or two, now and again. The sprinklers rained down over the rubble, as well as the few students left inside tending to their friends and injuries.

Mikoto stood calmly, glancing around to assess the situation before making any further movement. She could still feel the residual dark energy from whoever had fought today, but there was something strange about it. It was as if she could hardly feel it. Her vision narrowed on each of the many broken fragments surrounding her, the sheer scale of destruction was on par with her own when she had fought Midori.

_Who could have done this without transforming?_

Her small fists clenched at her sides and – ignoring the stares she got from her surrounding peers – she made her way to the second floor. The staircase had been half-broken, but what was even more suspicious was just how much water was continuing to cover the floor. It was too much to just be from an automatic system, and her sharp vision quickly took notice of the fact that it was flowing, not simply making puddles.

_It must be on the second floor…_

Mikoto's feet splashed on each step, and by the time she reached the top they were completely soaked and cold. She shook her whole body, trying to get the remaining droplets off much like a wet cat would, but there was still water coming from the sprinklers that could not be avoided. Looking both ways, she had to decide which route to explore first, but upon closer inspection it seemed as though the majority of damage was in the east wing of the building, presumably where the fighting began.

The girl furrowed her brow and darted down the hallway, following the broken pipelines which explained the amount of water. Mikoto stopped only for a second to inspect the torn metal protruding from the floor. The way that they were haphazardly bent gave the impression of an uprooted tree, but what was even more suspicious were the points where the water was leaking. They were neither cleanly cut, nor snapped in half, but it looked as though the water had burst through the metal from someone else's control.

She scowled and looked ahead once more, unfazed by the flickering lights. At the far end of the hallway Mikoto had come across the most severely damaged room. She peered inside; gasping lightly at what was clearly the epicentre of the incident. The room's outer wall had been completely destroyed, leaving it exposed to the dusty winds outdoors. Various papers were scattered across the damp floor, the majority of them soaking in puddles or torn. The girl continued to search for anything that might be of value, lifting the larger chunks of debris with ease until she came across the strewn about remains of a file folder.

"This is…" she muttered aloud, trying her best to wipe off the water and get a closer look at the sketches.

There was no doubt about it though, even with the bottom half of the page torn off and lost, these were the faces of two very recognizable members of the student council. Mikoto's expression dampened as she folded the paper into her skirt pocket and began searching for more. She was within arm's reach of another piece of paper when another's presence caught her attention.

"What's going on?" the male voice was firm, but not threatening. Mikoto clenched her fist and looked up into the gaze that mirrored her own. Not only the gaze, but their face, their eyes, their hair… everything about these two was similar, "Mai-san was worried sick, I promised her I'd come back for you," the boy stared at the girl's uncharacteristic seriousness, "But there's something else going on, isn't there?"

"You should leave."

"Not until you tell me what's happening!" Reito stepped forward, climbing over a chunk of fallen concrete to reach out to the younger girl.

"I don't want you to get hurt," Mikoto shouted defensively, "… Ani-ue!"

The boy's hand froze just as he was about to reach her arm. Though still worried, it had been ages since he had been called that; and its tone carried the weight of such a secret. He lowered his arm to his side and took a deep breath, not letting his gaze fall off.

"Mikoto…"

"It's better if you don't know. If you leave Fuuka now, you can live."

"This has to do with why they separated us, doesn't it? Just tell me! Mikoto… it's been going on long enough. Don't think I've just been idly going by as all this weird stuff has been happening around town. I've been worried too!"

"Ani-ue…" before she knew it, Mikoto had been pulled into an embrace where she rested her head on her brother's chest.

"Please… Mikoto… it's been too long. I'm tired of being kept in the dark."

"… That's all this answer will give you: Darkness," she stepped back, "But if knowing is what you really want-"

"Yes!"

"Mm," the girl nodded, "Then I'll tell you… Everything that's been happening in the city, this room, and why we were separated… It's all because there are demons in this world."

Any split second Reito had to interpret that metaphorically was lost when he saw a pure black mist rise from the girl's body. His breath hitched momentarily as the mist started to thicken into flames, and those flames began to shape into a bestial figure with pointed ears and two tails. Mikoto kept herself in the lowest form of possession, maintaining a human form within the coils of her deadly energy. She had been waiting for Reito to run, but somewhere deep in her heart she remembered just how stubborn her brother really was.

"There are eight others like me, well, seven now," even her altered voice could express her sadness, "I've already killed one of them."

"You…"

"I also killed my mother."

"But father said-"

"He knew what would happen, and I believe he did truly love me even after that happened. But… he couldn't forgive me for killing Jii-chan." For a brief second, Mikoto could see the fear surface in his eyes, but it disappeared as soon as Reito saw her tears, "Nekomata… the two-tailed cat that lives in me is the demon of death. Jii was teaching me to control it, but I failed." She picked up a wayward brick only to show Reito that it would disintegrate the second she touched it. "These flames take life away from anything they touch."

Her point proven, the energy faded away from her body and returned her to the form of a normal middle school child. Mikoto sighed sadly. She wished that was all there was too it; that she could confess her sins of the past to her brother and make it right.

"But that doesn't explain what happened here," Reito took the words right from her.

"Mm, this was someone else's fight," Mikoto finally looked him in the eyes again, "Ani-ue, please, leave this city. Take Mai and protect her because I can't! Eventually the fight will come to me again. I'll have to kill again and…"

"You don't want Mai-san to see you this way, right?"

The girl nodded.

"I understand," he held her close once more, "You truly love Mai, don't you?"

Amber eyes fell to the side, sadly contemplating the thought behind those words. Reito wasn't wrong, she knew that much for certain; but given how he meant it, she couldn't bring herself to nod in agreement, "I don't really know what's true…"

* * *

It wasn't until the Sanbi pair reached the crashing waves of the far sea that they dared to surface again. Heaving their breaths, the two girls continued to grip each other's hands, trembling and gazing around them. It would appear that they weren't followed this far, thankfully, and the mountains of Fuuka were mere specks on the horizon.

"I can't believe- She's!" Yukino held tightly to Haruka.

"Tch, I know..." the blonde snorted in frustration, "There's no way we can defeat her alone. Not to mention she seemed to be on a warpath from the start!"

"Do you think... maybe it wasn't her?" olive eyes stared up.

"Whether her mind was possessed or not, whatever demon that is – we can't let it know we're still alive. And more over, why did she stop? Fujino was ready to finish things and yet we're out here."

Yukino's mop of wet hair clung to her face as her gaze once again fell on the land in the distance. What reason could there be for setting a trap when she was already overpowering them? And there was no way someone like that could have simply run out of strength at the most crucial moment.

_She barely even transformed... All that power... That's just her!_

"And the worst part is now we have nowhere to go," Haruka added with a sigh, "Anywhere on school property is a death sentence, and sooner or later we'll have to get out of the water."

"I think... we'll have to go back to Muramasa..." Yukino looked away as she spoke, ashamed at what she suggested.

"What?" Haruka yelled, grabbing hold of the smaller girl's shoulders, "Yukino! The man tried to assassinate us! What makes you think that's any safer than the dorms?"

"Because he can't actually succeed!" Yukino retorted, shivering, "I hate him too, Haruka-chan, I do... but what other choice do we have?"

The blonde remained silent.

"The Sengo clan are the protectors of the Sanbi. If we demand sanctuary he'll have no choice but to let us in. And this time... This time we're stronger!"

Haruka's displeasure was obvious; to the point where it seemed as though she'd prefer living the rest of her life as a fish just to stay safe. She wanted that future with Yukino, not fighting and hiding and being enslaved to some war she couldn't care less about. As her emotions welled up inside, the latter reached out once more.

"What other choice do we have?"

"We fight!" violet eyes turned to the younger girl, fierce and willful, "Just because there is one other that strong doesn't mean they all are. We are the Sanbi pair!"

"But-!"

"Yukino! I can multiply your strength by five times! We can surely defeat the two-tails and who knows how many others! If we fight, we can win!"

"Haruka-chan!"

Yukino's shout violently snapped the blonde's core, forcing her to submission. Pained as she was, Haruka's expression was not one of anger, but of sadness. She gripped her side and refused to look up again, grinding her teeth at the reflection in the water. Her silence turned to choked whimpers, growing louder as she felt the slender arms embrace her once more.

"All I want is to protect you… Why can't I even do that? Why isn't there a way?" Haruka's tears flowed freely into the sea.

* * *

"Damn it!" the navy-haired girl cursed as she ran through the streets clutching her head, "Why! Shizuru!"

Natsuki was losing control of her legs, inadvertently slamming herself into the side of a building weakly. None of the remaining bystanders had the courage to approach the sobbing stranger. Instead they stared and waited, assuming for some reason that something would happen if enough people looked her way.

"Mother, I need you most of all now," her memories flashed before her eyes... the last time they ever would, "Mother... Where did you go?"

"_We need to talk."_

"Where did she go?!" the girl was now seemingly shouting to no one but herself.

"_You have no need of illusions anymore; rather, you've decided to cast aside any and all lies."_

"Where the fuck did you take her?! Houkou!"

"Uhm," one man actually took a single step forward before being struck by the glowing ice blue gaze, "Ah-"

He, nor anyone else, said a word over the growl that shook the earth. This girl was a rabid animal caged in a deceivingly beautiful body. Fangs hooked over her lower set of teeth, ferociously bared to the crowd which was dispersing all too slowly. Their morbid curiosity was their downfall in this case, sparking a suddenly familiar memory in Natsuki. She could see faded dark figures hovering above her, whispering and muttering much like this audience.

"Mother..." she whimpered, gripping the building's brick wall with canine claws, "Mai... Shizuru... anyone..."

"_Get a hold of yourself!"_

"I don't even know what's real anymore!" she roared with enough force to plant craters beneath her feet and toss everyone nearby on their backs.

That was it; her legs were bursting with energy once again and carried her through the alleyway. She was racing along a path she was sure she knew, only finding herself more lost. Breaths grew ragged between snarls, her human lungs tiring from her demonic sprints to the edge of town.

"Where is the cliff!?" Natsuki heaved, running along the side of the highway, burning sunset in her eyes.

"_There is no cliff! And your mother didn't die protecting you here!"_

The girl skid to a halt on the side of the road, staring out over the seaside whose natural blue had turned golden with the light. She squinted, wiping away the tears and succumbing to the ebb and flow of pain in her heart. Every beat seemed to take so much effort to remain intact, and her whole life had turned into a murky haze right before her eyes.

"Shizuru... Is that really the truth...?" Natsuki muttered, cold eyes locked on the horizon, "Was everything a lie?"

Beyond Shizuru, Natsuki felt even the memories of her childhood vanish; now unable to recall the very cliffside she had been searching for. She could have sworn something important happened here, but what? No matter how deep she searched in herself, everything was dark. There were no more summer days where she and her mother played with her beloved dog.

"Ngh," she gripped her head, "What was his name? I can't remember..."

With a heavy sigh, the girl climbed over the metal railing and took a seat on the ledge overlooking the sea. The sound of the waves below only served to spark the memory of those snakes tearing into the dock. Natsuki cringed and was forced into another vision; or rather, the truth that had been warped all these years. The woman she was so used to calling her mother was much more distant than she was used to thinking.

_So why do I believe this more?_

"_Because this is the truth – what really happened. You were-"_

"Just... stop," Natsuki's abrupt speech silenced the demon's explanation, "I want to remember for myself."

Choppy flashbacks clouded her vision with scenes from her real past. As the nameless jinchuuriki, she was nothing more than a tool to be kept in her cage until needed. Experiments were never thought of anything out of the ordinary, for she had never known another world. Regardless of her age, she was kept in the same white room; alone, save for the woman's voice. Occasionally she would catch a glimpse of her face for a split second before the tranquilizer dart hit her.

However, as the dog of The First District, she served a greater purpose. She had been quickly conditioned to understand the difference between inside and outside. Inside she was human, a silent and lonely girl; but outside she was a demon. Her eyes widened at the flash of memories.

"_Keeping you away from the elements starved me."_

The earth, the sea, even the sky... icy eyes could see them all being swallowed whole.

"_It didn't take long for them to see what a hungry dog would do for food."_

"I was just a tool for war..."

Natsuki's entire body clenched, feeling the way her past-self thrashed about – wildly consuming all that surrounded her. They were all different memories, yet the scenario remained the same. It was a dreadful pattern of a life she didn't even know she had lived through. Foreign images led to familiar sensations, forcing the girl to claw at the cliffside until she shut her eyes forcefully. Something inside her screamed for the memories to stop, knowing what was to come. Natsuki's chest tightened, bracing itself against the final words she would hear before her past had been rewritten.

"_I'm not your mother."_

She couldn't hold back a howl into the coming night, just as she had all those years ago. The blast of wind ripped the clouds apart; her trembling grip shook the hills. And her tears fell into the sea whose waves rose and fell, crashing into itself with each new cry into the darkness. The sun had fallen beyond the horizon, leaving only the lone wolf and the stars.

"Mother..." the girl whimpered, curling her knees to her chest and holding tight to herself, "I need you now..."


	15. Sit, Stay, Roll Over, Play Dead

**XV – Sit, Stay, Roll Over, Play Dead**

Thunder boomed in the sky above Fuuka, drenching the coast in a rainstorm. The clouds in the night were tinted black and blue, weighing down on the pair of girls approaching from the sea. They may have been one with water, but right now Haruka and Yukino remained silent as it poured over them. The fight with Shizuru and swim back to land had cost them both a hefty amount of energy.

"Uhn…" Yukino winced as she stepped onto the slippery earth.

She turned to face Haruka, whose bruises made her appear all the more disheveled in the shine of brief lightning strikes. The brunette extended her hand, pulling her other half up with what strength she had left. They had managed to swim their way up a small river and climbed out onto the side of a trail through a park. It was eerily dark, but neither girl had the energy to even feel afraid.

With their muddied hands clenched together, they began to trudge through the puddles – still quiet. Their sopping loafers squished into the grass on each step across the sports field, sending a chill up their spines. Or maybe it wasn't the rain.

_Yukino… why are you taking us there…? _Haruka's listless gaze ahead had fallen onto the girl in front of her, sad and confused. _After all he's done… Yukino… don't… _The girl came to a halt. _We can still fi-_

The blonde's train of thought was cut short when the lightning flashed again. Her violet eyes widened, shaking at the sight of the shadowy figure standing across the field. She couldn't even make it out – dirt and sweat clouded her vision. Haruka gripped Yukino's hand tighter, clenching her teeth and shaking under the pelting cold rain.

"Haruka-chan… I… can't fight anymore…" her eyes shut and her tears drowned in the rain.

Thunder crashed again, and the figure stepped forward slowly. His trench coat flapped in the storm's wind, though the hands in his pockets kept the buttoned-down portion pinned to his sides. Short, silver hair hung over his forehead – doing nothing to ease the stoic gaze of his dead eyes.

"Pathetic… are you two really supposed to be bijuu?"

"Muramasa…" Yukino snarled, albeit weakly, as she held Haruka at her side.

"The water demon is powerless in the rain. How amusing," his expression never wavered, "It would be so easy to rid this world of you right here and now."

"Then fucking do it!" Haruka spat back, capable of maintaining her volume even on wobbly legs.

"I would… if that was what I wanted."

"Then what do you want?" the brunette watched him closely through the remaining pieces of her broken glasses.

"Do you know how bad it would look on me and my whole clan if I were to turn away the Sanbi pair when they came to me in their time of need? We would be ruined! Do you have any idea how high the bidding war has gone for you two?"

Yukino grit her teeth, but with all her words caught her throat, she was forced to listen even more.

"So selfish… did you ever stop to think why the Sengo clan continues to harbour you monsters? Because we never have to work a day in our lives! Every time Isonade is born into this world, those fools at Searrs and The First District fight over who will win. No matter which of their demons you kill, I win!"

"_We're the monsters?_ Meanwhile you and these… whoever they are, are taking bets on which of our friends we kill!? Is that seriously what's happening?!" Haruka's rage had filled her with the energy to stand tall once more, stepping close enough to grab the man by his collar. "We just spent the day tossed around the god damn ocean after barely escaping with our lives from a psychotic snake woman," her lilac irises shone briefly, "But I'd sooner kill you than her!"

"Haruka-chan…"

The blonde's gaze fell to the grass, pressing her head into the fabric of the man's coat. She still had her fist clenched around it, but was far too pained to lift her head right now.

"Tch… I should have known. Fujino's always been my rival, always one upping me… Always so damn cocky and arrogant…" Haruka's tears couldn't be seen amongst the dark rain, but her crackling voice was enough to fully expose her weakness. The sight of which made the man smile gleefully. This one had always caused him the most trouble, "Well surprise, Sengo! I've already lost my only friend! To this damn curse no less!"

"Hmph," the man smirked as he curled his fingers into a fist, leaning down to whisper in the girl's ear, "So if you're going to kill me… _Then fucking do it_."

Haruka hadn't so much as a second to brace for the hit to her gut, forcing the wind out of her lungs as she stumbled back. She slipped on the grass and fell to a knee, clawing at the earth with her cut up fingertips. All of her anger could do nothing for her now, and the man's taunt only made it all the more humiliating. Though she still stood between him and Yukino, Haruka knew that no matter how much she wanted to, she didn't have the strength to kill this man.

Silence, save for the rain pelting down on the streets, cloaked them once more. Muramasa's confidence was towering over the pair's weakened bodies. Apparently this suffering was not enough for him.

"What do you want from us? You already know we can't fight back… so what is it?" Yukino fists hung at her sides, limply shaking.

"Oh, she knows," grey eyes met with violet ones, "Go on, Haruka. You know it's the only way I'll take you back."

All he received in response was a deep, rumbling growl.

"Even as a child, you were always the tough one. Always protecting Yukino. Did I miss something? Are you really going to put your pride before her?"

"Don't listen to him, Haruka-chan!" the brunette shouted, attempting to encourage the girl to take a stand for a second time.

The blonde continued to shake under the weight of her current weakness. Even with Yukino's encouragement, the fact still remained that there was nothing she – or they – could do to save themselves right now. She had denied it earlier after they escaped, but it was only in this moment of truth that she saw what Yukino did back then.

_We… we're at a loss… There is nowhere else for us to run. No matter where we go, there's an enemy… _

"Haruka-chan!"

"I'm sorry, Yukino…" her trembling leg lost its strength, bringing her body to the muddy ground. _Nothing will ever come before you…_

"Good girl," the man looked down at the girl before him – face down and barely breathing, "And you?"

Yukino could feel the strength she shared with Haruka fade to nearly nothing. They day had been too draining already. This wretched man was the only option they had left – it was certain now as she took her weakened steps forward. There was one final splash when the brunette fell into a puddle at her love's side. Her fingers reached out to touch the beaten cheek, but as soon as they touched Haruka's skin, she fell unconscious.

* * *

"Are you sure it's okay that we stay here?"

Mai was sitting on a hardwood floor, wrapped up in a blanket by the fireplace. After the attack on their school, Reito had led her – along with Takumi and Akira – to his family's apartment. No one had lived there in quite some time, but it was still furnished with the basics.

"Of course," the boy replied, leaning against the window and staring out at the dark sky, "You can't stay in the dorms until we know the academy is safe."

He scowled in frustration, checking his phone yet again, _I haven't heard anything from the others… Don't tell me they have something to do with it!_

Mai curled up closer, staring sadly into the flames. She was grateful to have Reito there, offering his home to them, but she couldn't help but continue to worry about her other friends. Chie had sent her a quick text to say that she and Aoi were okay, but each was going to their respective parents' homes on the outskirts of the city.

_Mikoto… _She buried her face in her arms, _Tate…_

Mai had been so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't even notice Reito approach from the side, kneeling next to her. She was pulled into an embrace – comforted by his continuing support.

"Don't worry about Mikoto," he assured her, "She's alright. I know it."

Not that he had any intention of explaining how he knew it. The chaos of the day was settling, bringing the facts of the situation to a clearer light. A part of him had been blinded by the adrenaline rush to fully comprehend what he had been told earlier. Reito's gaze fell on the window again and he took a deep breath, _Please be okay… I don't want to lose you again._

Lightning continued to flash in the sky. Even with the girl he cared for so much held in his arms, Reito's thoughts returned to what he saw this afternoon. Perhaps even more so because of her. He had to believe it in the moment, those flames – black as death – enveloped his little sister's child-like body. It was plain to see and yet it was so hard to believe. If what Mikoto had said was true, they were all in danger of being caught in the crossfire. But how could he possibly tell this girl that legendary monsters were literal, and that Mikoto was one of them?

"Mai-san…" Reito leaned back, still holding onto the girl's shoulders, "We should leave Fuuka…"

"What?"

"Everything that's happened lately, and now it's finally come to the academy," the boy looked to the side, frightened by his own words, "Even someone who didn't believe in curses would see it's not safe here."

Mai frowned, clenching her fist over her lap. Her anger lay not with the boy, but with the situation. She wasn't foolish enough to simply deny what was happening, but something inside her was taking a stand. For the first time in her life she had otherwise happy surroundings. Leaving would be running, trying to escape; not being strong enough to handle whatever life threw at her.

"Reito-san… I'm glad you care about me, but," she looked up at him with a soft smile, "I won't leave this city."

Amber eyes shut with a sigh.

"These weird happenings are just coincidences. Really unfortunate ones… Midori-chan's passing…" she tried to maintain her composure, still very unsettled by it, "But I won't uproot my life again. Not for some 'curse' people might believe in!" She was trying so hard to force back the tears, her resolve weakening by the second, "Takumi and I have been through so much, and now we finally have friends… a new family. I can't take that way for anything! All of these bad things will stop! I'll make them stop! I just-"

"Then I'll stay with you." Bloodshot lavender eyes blinked as she was cut off, surprised at his declaration, "You're right," his voice was strong, determined for reasons Mai would have yet to understand, "This curse, whatever it is. It can be broken. Somehow, there has to be a way to get past all this and live our lives."

"Reito-san…"

"But you shouldn't have to do it alone. I'll stay by your side and protect you – and Mikoto, and Takumi – and we'll stop whatever has taken over this city."

_I don't want you to stay. I want you to run as far as you can, but if you're really going to stay. _The boy let out a soft gasp as the redhead laid down on his outstretched leg, confirming once and for all that what he felt was genuine, _I can't leave behind the person I love._

"Thank you… Reito-san…"

* * *

"What do you make of that?" the green-haired boy whispered, back pressed against the wall while peering through the slightly opened door.

"I'm... not sure..."

Takumi's reply was drenched in thought, clearly showing that he had been going back and forth on the whole idea himself. No matter how his own desire for survival pulled at him, leaving Akira was out of the question.

"Perhaps it's easier this way."

"Hm?" Akira turned back to face him.

"If Onee-chan is set on staying for her own reasons, that means that I can stay with you."

"Tch, not that you should."

The brunette blinked for a second before scowling. His fists clenched over his knees, piquing the interest of the jinchuuriki. At least Akira would have it appear so. Sadly, she both knew and understood why Takumi was unwilling to leave; in fact, it was the same reason she had been keeping him with her. This whole time, logic would have pushed them apart. Akira's role in this war had been distracted from the start. She was trained in strategy, planning, and how to make full use of her ability to survive. _And I don't recall liking someone as part of my training._

"Really, Takumi. Even if – for whatever crazy reason – your sister wants to stay, you know the truth here. You know that this curse is real, that these demons are real," the boy grit his teeth, "You know we're going to die!"

"And what if there _is_ a way? What if what Kanzaki-san said was also true?"

"Then it would have been figured out centuries ago. Back then people could even use magic to seal and control the demons. In today's society, who do you think would have some way of stopping a war of this scale?"

"You don't know that!" He reached out, holding tight to the rougher, clay-coated hands, "Akira-kun, you were taught to survive. Why do you always act like it's the one thing you can't do?"

"Because I didn't have to worry about you before!"

Taken aback, the boy sat still and absorbed the emotion. It had struck him with such force that any further attempt to convince the transformed-girl otherwise had evaporated. He didn't want to lose the words, but he didn't even know what they would be now.

"Am I... holding you back?" he finally muttered, unable to look into those distressed fuchsia irises.

"No," Akira grumbled, "I mean, I don't know. It's just unprecedented. Everything about my ability and training has been about knowing how the fight will happen before it happens – now I don't know what to expect."

"And that puts you at a disadvantage..."

"You saw the destruction at school today, you tell me: do you think you can handle it?"

Takumi stared up, somehow more sure of himself than ever. He barely hesitated in reply with a soft smile.

"Yes," although the answer surprised both middle-schoolers, he continued to explain, "I told you I would stay by your side."

The other boy couldn't help his face getting a little redder, even if it was masked with frustration. The girl under the transformation felt her heart quiver, growing more certain that – above all else – this was somehow the response she wanted the most. And although it pained her, this was the truth of how she felt.

_It's selfish to want him here! He's in danger! So why doesn't he just leave-_

Akira's thoughts were cut off by Takumi's embrace. As much as she wanted to either continue berating herself or let herself enjoy the moment, she had to settle on an even more difficult option. She held onto him a few seconds longer as her eyes shut – she didn't know why this surprised her. After all, the whole reason this discussion now presented itself was because she had predicted it weeks ago.

"Takumi..." she pushed him back gently, "Do you still have the dagger we made?"

"Huh? Oh, of course," the boy reached into his pocket, "I never leave without it."

"Good, because I'm going to need you to do something for me with it." The jinchuuriki's voice well sombre and serious, unable to prepare the boy for what would come next, "Should I fall in battle, I will need you to seal me into that."

"What?" tears began to well up in Takumi's eyes.

"You're the only one who can. And that dagger was made by your hands with my power, it's what connects us. I had you make it with the hopes of never wreaking havoc on this world again! It's... it's the best option we have."

"But how could I-"

"Think of your sister!" Akira bared his teeth, "Think of the lives you'll be saving. Think of the pain all of this will cause of all nine demons ever live at once again. It's the only way to keep the fighting at bay for a few centuries... Please," pleading eyes looked up again, glazed with their own tears, "It's the one thing you can actually do to make a difference in this fight – I'm begging you to do it."

The fact that Takumi had shakily begun to nod, only served to confirm to the two of them what Akira was really asking before. Try as they might, hiding their sadness was proving more and more futile.

_I didn't ask if you could handle a fight... I had to ask... If you could handle my loss!_

* * *

"Mai!" Tate shouted between groans as he climbed through the rubble, "Mai!"

Fuuka Academy had been abandoned since the explosions, but that didn't stop the boy from sneaking past security and attempting to find the girl whom he called for. Driven by a powerful force inside him, Tate continued to search through the debris. Of all his friends, she was the only one unaccounted for amongst those who left town or were living in a temporary establishment until their parents came for them. She was also the only one with nowhere to go if the dorms were closed off like they currently were.

"Mai!" his fists clenched at his side as he took a rejuvenating breath, only to lose it in a gasp a second later.

"Mikoto!"

Tate turned in the direction of the familiar voice, smiling with relief when he saw the redhead climb over a chunk of concrete. It took a moment for her to notice him, but a few seconds later, Mai set her surprised eyes on her caramel-haired classmate. He was silent, simply taking the time to breathe his first relaxed breaths in hours; and Mai was returning his smile with unique warmth in her chest.

"Were you looking for me?" the girl broke the silence, stepping down off the stone slab toward her friend.

"Heheh, yeah," his smile wouldn't let up, "I was really worried about you. Are you okay?"

Mai sighed and nodded, "For the most part, but when the explosions went off Mikoto ran into the school for some reason. We haven't been able to find her since."

That was the first time Tate's expression had changed. He held no ill feelings towards the girl, but mention of her separating from Mai yesterday only solidified what he had been trying to forget. His serious expression forced him to look away from her; unable to find the words.

"I stayed at Reito-san's house last night, with Takumi and Akira-kun."

"Right," the boy had tensed again, but managed to look at her, "Listen, Mai, there's something not right about that guy. We need to talk-"

"We couldn't find anything over this way."

_Speak of the devil... _Tate groaned inside.

Reito appeared over the same pile of concrete that Mai had climbed, looking down on her conversation with the other boy. It wasn't as though he was ashamed to admit the scene didn't sit well with him, but rather, he was genuinely curious as to where it was leading. He hadn't failed to notice the way that, even while searching through the destroyed academy for his sister, Mai seemed at ease when talking to Tate.

"Oh, hello Tate-kun," he put on his fake smile and stepped down the jagged ledges, "What are you doing here? The property has been closed off."

"I know," he tried to hide a grimace at the other boy's tone, "I was looking for Mai, but it's good know you're all okay."

"Well, most of us," Reito's sincerity showed itself, "Mikoto is still gone. Mai-san, we should go to the dorms next. At the very least we can pick up some supplies from our rooms."

"Right," the girl nodded, "It'll give me a chance to see if Mikoto's things are all still there."

_How can you be doing this? _Tate's teeth ground together, hidden behind his serious stare into amber eyes. The expression broke for the second it took him to smile sadly at Mai's leave before he reached out to grab Reito's arm. The black-haired boy turned, curious.

"What are you doing?" Tate whispered, albeit aggressively.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Reito matched the tone, but stood still – which allowed Mai to gain some distance between them.

"Why aren't you telling her the curse is real!"

The scowl and jerk of his arm away from Tate's hold made it clear that he had hit a nerve. But Reito was careful not to let the boy see his surprise at the declaration. It proved unnecessary anyway, as the underclassman continued to explain himself.

"I overheard you talking with Mikoto when I was looking for Mai yesterday. You know where she is, don't you? But you're letting Tokiha think she's missing, keeping her worried? I don't even know what's going on, but what I heard Mikoto say yesterday makes sense – and I'm willing to believe it."

"You're delirious from the stress, Tate-kun. It happens. But I'm afraid you're mistaken."

"Cut the crap! Did you know about this all along? We're talking about demons here! How are you so calm?"

"Because I have to be," Reito's words cut deep, "You may have heard some things between us yesterday – for instance: Mikoto _is_ my sister. But beyond that, everything else is in your head. And I won't have you getting Mai-san involved in such conspiracies."

"You're really... something else." Tate wouldn't back down. Summoning the courage he always wished to have when facing his old friend, he continued to press for truth, "You act like you have her best interests in mind, but it's you whose getting her more involved in this. Just tell her the truth and how dangerous it is to get her out of town and keep her safe."

"Oh, and just where would she go? You're hoping that you can be the one to keep her safe from 'demons' and 'monsters'? That's madness."

_You fucking hypocrite..._

"Fine," the boy turned, "I'll get proof on my own. I'll find Mikoto and get her to tell Mai; since I know for a fact that your sister cares about her. If you won't do the right thing, Mikoto will."

Reito wouldn't indulge him anymore, fearing that the truth may just slip out. Nothing had changed in his plans, even now knowing what Tate had heard. Fairy tales were the types of things one had to see to believe, and right now there was only one person they both knew of who could prove their existence. If Tate were to ask for help, no one would think anything more of it than the ramblings of a distressed high-schooler. The task would remain the same.

_I will find a way to stop this._


	16. With the Flick of His Tail

**XVI – With the Flick of His Tail**

"Really, Natsuki... you can tell me."

The girl merely shook her head, continuing to stare sadly at the opposite wall.

A day prior to where she sat now – in Reito's living room – Natsuki had been found in the strangest of places: half asleep on Mai's doorstep. The latter was too caught up in being overjoyed that her friend was okay – rushing to embrace her mirthless form – that she hadn't thought to ask how it all came to be at that time. The older girl hadn't spoken much during the time between then and now, still lost in her thoughts, but Mai's dependability and energy would never waver.

"But you saw the school, why would you risk coming back there?"

"... I had nowhere else to go..." she muttered, allowing the blanket to be lowered onto her shoulders.

"But if you live off campus, wouldn't you be safest there?"

Emerald eyes jolted open and her body shivered again. There certainly was a reason why her home was no longer safe. She could be found there. _She... she knows where I live. She knows all the places I'd go. I have to stay as far away from those places as possible._

"No," Natsuki whispered between clenched teeth, "And... I have no one else to count on."

Mai gasped lightly, the sadness for her friend was evident. Her flattery of being someone Natsuki counted on was overshadowed by knowing why it had come to that. All she could do was hold her tight.

At the same time, the sentence rang in the ears of the young man leaning against the far wall. Reito had his arms folded across his chest, deep in hypothesizing when it – however unfortunately – clicked in his mind. Amber eyes glanced up in fear, seeing Mai embrace the shivering girl.

_So you are involved in this... Shizuru._

* * *

"I thought I'd never wake up to this ceiling again," Haruka groaned, an arm lying limp on her forehead as she scowled.

"At least we don't have to be separated," Yukino added with a smile.

They may have been hopping from one enemy to another, but for just a brief moment this morning there was a sense of calm. They had slept for over a full day since they had been found by Muramasa and were now waking peacefully in each other's arms. The brunette rested her head on the other girl's chest, her fingers toying with blonde locks.

Haruka's expression relaxed as well, comforted by that one bit of silver lining. The whole purpose of their stay was to regain their lost strength and become powerful enough to last in a fight amongst demons. And for them, that required their continual presence together. Yukino felt the grip on her shoulder tighten playfully as Haruka pulled her even closer – if only for a second before rolling over, now hovering above the pleasantly surprised girl.

"How long has it been... Since I've been able to look at you like this?"

"Too long," Yukino ran a hand up the back of her neck, massaging gently while bringing their lips together.

Never breaking away, Haruka lowered herself to rest on her elbows while lying atop the smaller girl. A hand found its way roaming up into brunette tresses while the other locked its fingers with Yukino's – moving her arm up by their heads. Their bodies moved rhythmically in a continuous ebb and flow. Every movement was fluid. After all, these two lived and breathed the embodiment of water. Just as Haruka's sensual kisses moved down Yukino's neck, the door opened with a start.

"Tch. The second I take my eyes off you, you're at it again," Muramasa grumbled, taking an authoritative stance as usual while waiting for them to scramble away from each other. However, what he got instead were a few chuckles and barely even any attention, "Hey! Listen to me when I'm talking to you, you incestuous beasts!"

He had already raised his hand to strike a blow when, mid-kiss, Yukino had extended hers. In a split second it was covered in blue scaly flesh and adorned with obsidian claws. Furthermore, the man began to quiver as he felt his arm suddenly cramp up and sweat. Haruka's lilac eyes glanced over at him, grinning into her tongue-wrestle with the girl beneath her.

"Wh-what are you doing?!" he stammered.

Haruka sighed as Yukino broke their kiss and turned to their step-father, taking a moment to completely relax on top of the younger girl.

"Training. That's what we're here for, isn't it? You know I'm strongest with Haruka-chan."

"And again," the blonde added, "We're not sisters, even if that's how you wanted to raise us."

"Although it wouldn't stop me if we were."

Yukino grinned and pulled Haruka into a deep kiss, purely for the purpose of antagonizing the man further. However, she was kind enough to let go of her hold on the water under his skin. Muramasa's arm dropped with excruciating weight and lifelessness, and his disgust was prevalent as ever. It would appear that they had in fact already grown in strength since their last encounter – or rather, assassination attempt.

"Well, if you can keep your hands off each other long enough to read this, it might save your life."

He turned to leave the room, grimacing at the pair who appeared to be set on ignoring his orders for the sake of their lust. He couldn't even clench his fist after what the girl had done to his arm.

"When you turn into that shark," he glanced over his shoulder, "I hate you the most, Yukino."

* * *

Meanwhile, hidden amongst the supplies of a construction site in the inner city, Mikoto and Nao were sitting in silence. The latter had been there for some time now, not bothering to go back to school since the latest attack on her. Just as well, her visit with the unconscious Ishiro left her feeling bitter and hopeless. She wouldn't outright admit it in front of Mikoto, who amongst all this chaos had remained a source of light in her life, but the girl had given up for the most part.

_Yet I'm still alive... with Mikoto by my side. That's how it always is._

Lime eyes looked over at the black braids swaying in the wind. Mikoto was sitting atop a collection of wooden planks, knees huddled up to her chest in an attempt to hide most of her face. They couldn't reach her eyes though, revealing their dread and sadness. In her hand she still held the scrap of paper she had found days ago among the wreckage of the student council room. She would take it out occasionally to look at, but only for a second before shutting her eyes and tensing again.

"Lemme see that," Nao finally said, standing quickly and snatching it up before Mikoto could argue.

"Huh," the redhead stared curiously at the sketches, "To think those two would be like us. What – is the whole damn school a bunch of demons?"

"Probably..." Mikoto replied all too honestly as she began counting on her fingers, "You, me, Midori-sensei, Haruka, Yukino – the one they fought yesterday, and the one who fought you."

"Well, the Ichibi is out of the picture; so we can take her off the list of potential threats."

Mikoto stiffened again, eyes widening in fear of what she had or would become. She feared herself more than ever these days. All jinchuuriki were born haunted by the deaths of their mothers, but these two were a bit exceptional in that regard. Mikoto sighed and looked down, unable to shake the memories of those she killed.

"What if... If Mai sees me like this... Then she'll-"

Before she could finish, Nao had cut her off with a sour snicker.

"Sorry," she looked back sarcastically, "But is that goodie-goodie the one you're so worried about? I bet she wouldn't even believe it if you killed right in front of her."

"Nao... Mai is my friend."

"Yeah," her gaze became more serious, "And so am I. And as badly as you don't want me to give up, I don't want you to give up either. You think it'll be bad if Mai sees you, so you're not gonna fight? Come on! At least you'll still be alive!"

There was a flicker of pain in the golden cat eyes as Mikoto was hit with that reality. _I do love Mai... Mai is my friend. Mai wouldn't want me to kill anyone... _She stood up, staring straight ahead to the academy. _But Nao understands. Nao won't leave me if I kill. _The irises began to glow. _Nao will always be with me!_

"H-hey! Where are you going?" the redhead was about to chase after her friend, who had since jumped and perched herself on the fence.

"You're right, Nao. I will cut down our enemies until none remain. Whether Mai sees it or not doesn't compare to the future if I sit idly by."

"Wai- I didn't mean!" But it was too late; the figure had already disappeared into the shadows of the alleyway, _Damn it...!_

* * *

Natsuki had been sitting on the steps outside of Reito's apartment for some time now, watching the sunset's glow. Her sensitive ears could hear the footsteps approach from behind, and her nose could tell her it was Mai again. She appreciated the girl's care and patience; especially her patience. The girl was a natural at comforting people, which was a trait Natsuki could never understand in others. She envied her friend's ability to sit beside her in silence without making it awkward. However, her kindness made it all the more difficult to keep silent.

_Mai... you're all I have left. Please don't take it personally. _She wanted to tell her so badly, but there was honestly no place to start. Natsuki scoffed inwardly. _Even I don't understand it and I'm a part of it... I guess this is explains why Shizuru hated her so much – being a demon and all-_

The girls sarcastic chuckle was cut short when the thought had stuck her a bit too close to the mark. Emerald eyes quickly focused on the redhead sitting next to her, pulling the latter's gaze to face her with a calm smile.

_Shizuru... why did you hate Mai so much? Tell me... You have to tell me!_

"Mai..."

"Yeah?" the girl tilted her head curiously.

"Would I be prying if I asked about your mother?" Natsuki ventured.

"Ah, no... But why now?"

"A lot of what just happened has to do with my mother... I just wanted to hear about yours a bit... if you don't mind."

Mai leaned back on her outstretched arms, looking at the sky in thought. It was almost red with the clouds lingering from the recent storm. A bittersweet smile came to her face, "My mom taught me how to cook. I think that's my fondest memory of her. I always liked to help out with chores and stuff since Takumi was sickly and Dad was working so hard for us."

"I see..." Natsuki was in the middle of a relaxed sigh when the girl continued.

"Don't tell Takumi," Mai's eyes weakened with sadness, "I never told anyone, and he doesn't know. I'd rather he didn't."

"What is it?"

"She's actually my step-mom," Mai smiled at her friend as if the weight of the world had been lifted off her shoulders. However, Natsuki could feel it drop right down on hers. Her stomach tensed as she tried to conceal her suspicion, but the girl was not making it easy, "My mother died when I was born... Dad never talked about it. But I mean look at us, does Takumi resemble me at all?" She leaned in closer to note the sarcasm. "I mean really, no one in my family has red hair except me. How could I not be curious? Anyway, one day I came across a small memorial altar in the back of our house. It was hidden away pretty seriously," she chuckled and rubbed the back of her neck, "I thought Dad was going to be so mad."

"It was your mother's?"

"Yeah... He looked more... scared, than anything. But I guess he had kept it hidden from himself for so long that it brought back all the memories of her when he saw it. I remember that day so clearly... There I was thinking he'd be mad, but instead he just knelt down and hugged me so tight. And he cried..."

_Mai..._

In a split second, Mai was pinned under Natsuki's hold. She didn't even know anyone could move that fast, regardless of how athletic she was. The two locked eyes. She didn't know if it was just the intensity of the situation or not, but Mai swore Natsuki's had turned from green to blue in that second. Not only that, but the girl was immensely stronger than she could have imagined.

"I was never here."

Natsuki's statement, along with her actions forced a confused scowl onto Mai's face. It took all her strength just to lift her head when shouting.

"What? What do you mean you were never here?"

_What the hell! _Natsuki cursed inwardly and tightened her grip. _Not even Shizuru was immune to my illusion!_

"Natsuki, what are you doing?"

It was a decisive moment for the Gobi jinchuuriki. She towered over her friend, who was growing more and more fearful of the situation, and yet she could guarantee that she was the more frightened one. She had, right there in the palms of her hands, someone who was both friend and enemy.

_Mai... just... just what are you?_

"Natsuki!" But her voice was the same.

The scream had brought a sense of reality to the girl, forcing her grip to relax, though she would still not move. Her wish had spanned miles, it seemed; and Natsuki could do nothing more than run. Mai blinked to see that the girl had already disappeared between the series of buildings across the street.

_Shizuru...! _Natsuki's thoughts raced along with her heart. _The reason you hate Mai so much... _She wouldn't stop running. _Is because you're afraid of her!_

Mai could do little more than sit there in awe of what just happened. Natsuki had seemingly turned on her for a moment, but she couldn't understand why. Nor why the girl looked so afraid before running off. Her worried eyes searched the horizon for any sign of her friend, but her attention was quickly distracted. Takumi had come running outside, panic in his voice.

"Onee-chan! Where is Akira-kun?!"

* * *

"I thought the whole reason we went to Muramasa was so that we wouldn't have to come back here?" Haruka asked indignantly as she stood beside Yukino at the front gates to the academy.

"It appears we don't have much of a choice anymore."

With a sigh, the brunette easily snapped the chains which barred entrance to the property. The Sanbi pair remained alert as they walked up the familiar cobblestone pathway. They had made this decision on their own, and it did seem like it would be the most effective way to establish their strength in this fight…

"But still," the blonde grumbled, "The Seven-Tails? Whoever it is has got to be pretty strong. This won't be easy."

"Mm, I doubt it would be," Yukino had led them off the pathway and into the forested area now, "But that report said that the Shichibi is actually the weakest demon. Instead its power is derived from its ability to stay hidden."

"In other words, it's only lived so long because it could survive everyone else fighting. But if we go to it-?"

"Precisely."

The pair had come to a clearing when Haruka grabbed hold of Yukino's sleeve. She put a finger to her lips, warning her to be silent for a moment. Unfortunately, compared to the other jinchuuriki, these two had no enhanced senses that would help them on land. However, the badger they were hunting would easily be able to tell where they were so long as they were in contact with the ground.

"Do you hear that?" Haruka whispered.

The girl had indeed heard something strange. They had been searching for an earth demon, and yet it sounded more like wind. Yukino clenched her fists, immediately cloaking herself in a deep blue steam. It was approaching quickly from above, and certainly wasn't human; but neither was it the enemy they had prepared for. One more second and the battle would begin.

"Yukino!" Haruka shouted, wrapping an arm protectively around the girl and leaping to the side.

The ground had split apart in a fissure beneath them, however the attack was not meant for them. It seemed that the Sanbi pair had barely escaped an unintentional pincer attack. For the moment that the ground opened up to swallow them, the mystery figure, cloaked in black flames, dove down on them from the tree tops.

"Who the hell is that!?" Haruka barked.

They pair watched as the small girl hissed and thrashed in the trap she had fallen into. The earth demon was swift in her goal of effectively swallowing her prey, dragging the girl completely underground. As if fate itself commanded it, while Yukino and Haruka had come in search of Akira, she had in fact been lying in wait for Mikoto. And just as she had warned Takumi, the two-tailed demon would not be a match for her.

That said, her strategy was thrown off by the third party's presence. Akira had the strength to keep Mikoto held underground without a problem – that is, if she weren't being attacked from another side. Using the distraction to their advantage, Yukino was ready to jump back in the fray. Aside from the fact that Mikoto had actually been after their heads, the girl's appearance allowed enough time for a thick coat of water to generate around the brunette's body.

With eyes black as night, Yukino was just barely holding onto her human form in a mid-level possessed state. The water that covered her was pure energy which bent to her will, and beneath it was a scaly hide as tough as iron. Haruka was steadily transferring her energy, but for the first time they had entered a battle with the proper way to fight. It may have cost her some pride, but there was no denying it: the three-tailed shark was held by Yukino, she would be the one to fight.

With a mighty shout, the shark-like girl raised all three of her water-tails and slammed them into the earth. Steam hissed as it poured into the remaining gaps in the fissure; but that was only the beginning.

_Shit! They're turning the earth into mud!_

Akira cursed, trembling as she poured all of her energy into the coffin attempting to hold the wild Nibi. The girl knew there was no way she could fight on two fronts, and when she felt water begin to pool around her feet, the decision of who was more dangerous had become clear. The frustrated roar shook the expanse of the academy to the degree of a light earthquake, but that in itself loosened the ground enough for her to proceed with hurling Mikoto as far underground as possible.

Unfortunately, it was those same gaps which allowed Yukino's water to breach an even wider area. Akira struggled to maintain control of her element, but the feeling was akin to a limp. All the strength in the world could not control an element that simply was not there anymore. Furthermore, her ability to hide had been stripped from her. For a second, all Akira felt was a jet of water pound into her gut and the muddy ground crack away at her back.

She had been blown out of the ground by a geyser and was now soaring through the air. Her dizzy eyes caught a glance of the girls she was currently fighting until she began her descent. If she weren't a jinchuuriki, Akira's unfortunate ricochet off a tree branch would have paralyzed her; but even still, the girl was growing to be outmatched by a demon four tiers lower. She landed forcefully in the mud, wincing as she tried to get to her knees.

But Yukino would not allow the slightest chance for escape. She had found her resolve days ago, and that will to fight for her future with Haruka fueled the meek girl to become the merciless killer she was at this moment. Haruka grit her teeth as she watched the human in her despising what she had been forced to do. But above all else, she wanted to survive. They both did. And Akira was experiencing first had just what kind of opponent she was up against.

Her outer shell had been sliced up by the razor fins, exposing her female identity to the world for the first time. However, the shock was lost on her opponent who quickly spun around and smashed all three of her tails into the green-haired girl's side. Akira rolled into the woods, clawing at the ground for some dry earth to shield herself with, but had already been beaten quite badly. Her only chance at survival was an escape.

_Tch! How is she so strong?!_

Akira cursed and rolled to dodge a swipe, during which she cause a glimpse of the blonde who had yet to actually fight. Furthermore, while the girl she was fighting had the energy to overpower her, this one was doing little more than radiating energy off her body. That was enough for Akira's strategic mind to figure out the answer to her question. Whatever power they had involved them being a pair, likely that one could store energy for the other to use. Although, sadly – before she could kick off the ground and make a break for the vulnerable Haruka – Akira was hit clean in the back of the head with a massive clawed hand.

"Ugh!" the seven-tailed host choked and garbled out some of the most painful sounds; pinned under the hold of her predator.

_This… This is…_

It was the end. There was no doubt about it when, demonic as she was, Yukino shouted out in fear.

"Haruka-chan!"

The blonde's unknowing glance was the last thing Yukino saw before a massive set of black claws ripped through the earth. The painful shriek tore at Akira's ears as the girl above her stumbled back and the scenery around them was shredded by uncontrolled water. The transformation had fallen from Yukino's body. Scales viciously peeled off her, splashing in the fallen cloak of water mixed with blood.

Following the paw came the colossal body of the cat demon. Nekomata himself was climbing out from the underworld, crushing Haruka beneath him. The bijuu was as tall as the trees, with twin tails stretching the length of its whole body. Golden eyes were the only sources of colour amongst the deathly flames which licked at the feline body.

In a vain attempt to recover from Mikoto's attack, Haruka had sucked in every last drop of water from the area. The earth turned cracked and solid. Trees browned and fell lifelessly around the panicked Yukino who rushed to her partner's side. It was pure luck that Akira had regained enough strength, and saw fit her own opportunity to capture the cat demon now that it was fully exposed. Haruka remained trapped underfoot, but within seconds, pillars of earth erupted around the Nibi. Mikoto hissed as her limbs were wrapped and pinned to the ground. Akira's remaining strength was poured into this offensive maneuver; but it proved effective for the time being.

"Haruka-chan!" Yukino cried again, prying the shriveled body out from under the burning paw.

Her breaths were ragged as the tears streamed down her face. She could feel her very life force evaporate around her, but that was nothing compared to the heartbreak of seeing Haruka burnt and wrecked in her arms.

_We were winning! We were going to go home after this! Haruka-chan!_

"Wake up!"

For the first time in her life, the girl had a truly human outburst of emotion. Her shouts changed nothing. The seas did not flog against the coast, and the strength did not return to either of them. In fact, it continued to fade. Yukino's muscles could barely keep her sitting up straight, causing her to fall at Haruka's side. She reached a shaky hand over to her face, cupping the blonde's cheek as she set her bloodshot eyes on her one last time.

"I truly am nothing without you… Haruka-chan…"

And the hand slipped onto the earth.

That should have been it. But the death god's pet had an insatiable appetite. Under the threat of Akira's binds, Nekomata turned to the girl and hissed again. The mud of a fallen transformation dripped off her cheeks as she continued to kneel, an arm clutching her ribs. This should have been the end.

_Not that I have any idea what to do with a fully transformed bijuu…_

She coughed up blood, still in recovery from her brutal defeat by Yukino, but Akira would not look away from the cat demon. Nor could she with what came next. As if Nekomata could not become any more frustrating to deal with; his back began to tremble. Mikoto, deep within his core, was pushed to her absolute limit – forced to reveal her final form. Fuchsia irises reflected their doom: a pair of black wings sprouting from the flames. The arm covering her injuries fell to her side, disbelief filling her mind.

_You really are the harbinger of death…_

A roar shook the sky as the mighty wings flapped, lifting the bijuu off the ground while slowly but surely snapping the earthen confines.

_If it had only been you… I could have survived. But I guess it's not so bad…_

Mikoto's tails were freed first, and her legs followed.

_Damn Takumi and his sister complex… Well, long as you keep her safe from this war, he'll be okay._

Akira stared death in the face with honour. She was trained for this outcome. But in the end: it was thanks to a twist in her strategy that she was able to accompany that honour with a smile.

_Because of you, Takumi, you can prevent this from happening again for a couple hundred years at least. I'll do my best too. _She could see the jaws encircle her in her periphery, _Thank you… for ending my lonely curse._


	17. Enemy of Mine

**XVII - Enemy of Mine**

The rain fell down hard on the street. Practically the whole city had evacuated, and the academy had officially closed until further notice. It had been decaled a natural disaster zone for now by the media. Saying that though, they did not predict any more storms or earthquakes, but since they had come so suddenly before it was best to leave.

Natsuki took steady steps through the well-lit evening, not certain of her destination. Her hands were not toughly shoved in her pockets like usual, and her aura lacked the ice princess defence she was so well known for. Emerald eyes continued to glance around at the remaining faces, praying she would see the one she was looking for. She wouldn't know what to say or do when she saw it, but she just had to.

_Shizuru... _Choking on her tears, Natsuki fell to her knees, pounding her fists into the pavement with inhuman strength. _Why!? Why did it have to be you!? Why didn't you tell me!?_

"WHY!" she howled into the sky. The blast of wind that blew the rain away for a moment, giving her a few seconds of relief before falling back down on her shut eyes. _And Mai… You were my friend… You _are_ my friend! Have I really lost you too? Or… were you never really there. How much of my life is an illusion…?_

Her mind was racing, creating an unbearable tension inside her. Hesitantly, the girl got to her feet, her dead gaze looking around for somewhere more private to rest. There was an alleyway across the street that she moved towards, taking shelter from the odd stares she feared. It didn't do too much in way of protecting her from the rain, but there was at least a place to sit. With the flick of her ankle, Natsuki hopped onto a metal dumpster and crawled to where her back could lean against the cold, wet bricks of the adjacent building.

_Now what...? I don't even know who she is anymore... Shizuru kept Yamata no Orochi hidden from me this long, and that's bad enough, but now... can I even get her back? What if she's gone forever? Completely taken over by that snake? She... _The girl's breath hitched. _She could kill me in a second. What do I do now...?_

_..."Fight"_

A deep voice in her subconscious whispered; in time with the sound of puddles splashing rhythmically: footsteps. At first Natsuki paid no mind to it, but they came to a sudden halt quite close to her. Her nose also picked up on a very familiar, disgusting, scent; however, in her depression the girl couldn't even care about this one.

"You really are a resilient bitch, aren't you?" Nao said while puffing mist out from her mouth in the cold, her arms folded across her chest, "I come out in this mess of a town to look for Mikoto and find you instead. Talk about fucked up." Emerald eyes didn't even flicker, "Well, you already know this fate is cruel to us anyway, don't you?" Nao's glare had become more accusatory.

"What are you implying?"

"Fuuka's turning to rubble but neither of us has a single scratch. I'm not _implying_ anything."

"...So what?" Natsuki muttered, not bothering to look up, "Who're you?"

"Sokou, the Yonbi..." she reluctantly introduced, having always hated being the host for that particular bijuu.

"Heh, I guess this answers that age old question between us: Who's better?" Natsuki couldn't bring herself to smirk at the victory, although her tone more than made up for it, "I'm the Gobi's host, one above you."

Nao growled in frustration, it seemed fated to be this way forever; so close to her enemy rival but never able to surpass her. Although before she could launch her physical attack, she was stabbed by the insult that came next.

"I should have known that it would be you who hosted the ugliest bijuu," the words rolled off her tongue so casually, as if Natsuki didn't care in the slightest about anything now that she had lost the person most important to her, _Did you know I was Houkou's host, Shizuru? I bet you did... You were always so intuitive... I bet that's why you kept asking if my love was an illusion. Yeah... that's why... you knew about his power..._

"I hate you!" the redhead snarled at the girl sitting atop the dumpster, her fists clenched tight at her sides and her shut eyes moist with tears, "I hate you!"

Natsuki's eyes shifted up with a bored expression, both of her knees were bent with her arms fully extended and resting limply on them. She had been silent, despite knowing that someone had impeded on her privacy. However, the strong words were enough to bring her out of her blank state of mind.

"What?" she groaned, apparently curious but not fazed by the raw emotion behind them.

"I hate you!" Nao cried once again, this time louder and with a step forward, swinging her arms back to dramatize her point.

"...Why?" the midnight haired girl asked with a sigh. She would never admit it, but it always made her curious: why Nao acted the way she did. To her knowledge Natsuki hadn't initiated any confrontation, all of a sudden she just had this underclassman she didn't even know expressing rage towards her, "Whatever the reason, don't you think it's too late to tell me?"

"No..." Nao growled, "You're going to hear this if you're too damn stupid to even know why!"

Natsuki's eyebrow perked up, indicating she would listen, albeit barely. Her thoughts were elsewhere, she wouldn't deny that, but her instincts told her to stay put.

"You..." Nao's grinding teeth held her angry expression in place even as the thin tears were becoming more apparent, "You survived!"

The jade-eyed girl grunted again in annoyance, she hadn't expected an answer like that, but it sounded complicated. And she was not in the mood to deal with complicated, especially not from her. Whatever she had "survived"... _It doesn't matter anymore..._

"Look, I don't know what you're talking about, or care... And it seems like a pretty dumb reason to hate someone anyway, whatever I survived..." she paused, recalling her recent thought and... formed a smile? "Of course... I would want to live..."

"You...!" the redhead's frustration was fuelled by the expression, unaware that it was not in response to her words, "I admired you!" she managed to spit out, but with the past tense clear enough to wipe the surprised look from Natsuki's face, "Your family had abandoned you, just like mine! You were treated like a broken tool and tossed aside, just like me! Your mother... all of it! _I_ was the one who shared that pain with you!"

Natsuki snarled a monstrous growl, warning the girl not to continue down the path she was obviously leading too. It was bad enough that she was talking about her past and family like she understood. But if she were to say her thoughts out loud: that she was more worthy of being Natsuki's friend than Shizuru; she would get torn apart right then and there. And so, with her remaining sanity, the younger girl complied and got to the point; her lips curving into a pitiful excuse for a smile.

"But that admiration... the way I looked up to you... I had grown attached to you even though you never knew," she shut her eyes, reflecting on the word 'attached.' "It was bad enough being ignored by you... but I still looked up to you! No matter how invisible I was I couldn't stop wanting to be like you! ... But as time went on I realized something."

Natsuki blinked, though with the bored look having returned to her eyes.

"...You were still alive!" her smile had grown into a frightening grin, letting loose an angry cackle, "You didn't die like everyone else! I cared about you and you didn't die! ... The only person to have survived my attachment to them... didn't even know who I was! You... lived."

_Ishiro..._

"Pfft, and now you're bitter because you didn't have the guts to come talk to me? You annoyed me constantly for years because I didn't know you existed? What a bunch of crap!" Natsuki pounded her fist into the metal she was sitting on, visibly denting it.

"Isn't Mikoto still alive? What about her! Doesn't it mean anything to you that she cares about you?! I'm not going to apologize for being happy or for being alive! Now leave me the fuck alone!"

"Not a chance!" the girl's lime green eyes were beginning to glow, radiating power as well as misguided hate, "It's about time you came down off that throne of yours and back to the streets where you really belong: you damn stray dog!"

Natsuki's body remained tired and relaxed although her eyes narrowed at the sight of Nao slowly becoming wrapped up in green and brown vapours. This was going to get ugly fast if she didn't put an end to it.

"I hate everything about you... The way you saunter like all you've been through was nothing more than a breeze on a brisk fall day. That you ignored me. That when I liked you, you wouldn't die; that when I hated you, you _still_ wouldn't die!"

The vapours were now becoming thicker, cloaking her entire body. Blood dripped down from where her growing claws were cutting into her clenched fists but was eaten up by the surrounding energy, becoming one with the poison. Her fierce eyes opened and stared up into the calm emerald ones, successfully piercing through the older girl, awakening her from her bored wait.

"But now... I'll make sure you die from my hatred!"

* * *

Night had fallen over the cursed battlefield at Fuuka academy. Four bodies were sprawled out amongst the debris of cracked earth and fallen trees; but only one twitched with the faintest sign of life. Mikoto's bleary eyes opened slowly, taking in all that surrounded her.

_Death…_

Her hands trembled, clawing at the ground. It wasn't that she couldn't remember what she had done, but that she couldn't forget if she tried. Her personality had changed in an instant and would always revert just as effortlessly. All Mikoto was now was a frightened middle-school girl growing more distraught the more she dared to look around.

Her breath hitched at the sight of Haruka and Yukino lying side by side. She scrambled for balance and crawled over to them quickly. The threat had been eliminated, and without it the girl could see these two as nothing other than her classmates.

"H-hey…" she risked pushing on the brunette's shoulder, "Come on… you're a jinchuuriki. Get up."

Of course there was nothing but silence. Mikoto's soft gasps echoed in the clearing, along with her swift footsteps over to the third body. She hadn't the faintest idea who it would be, only that it was someone who posed a threat to her in battle. Furthermore, the shadows of night hid the most disturbing sight from her until she got too close to back away. Not that she didn't try.

Clutching her mouth and stumbling to a fall, Mikoto's quivering eyes locked on Akira's familiar face… and what was left of her body. Disgust boiled inside her small body and the dread of what she had done weighed her down to the point of immobility. The longer hair and more feminine features were not enough to sway her initial conclusion that this was Akira: someone dear to Takumi, who was dear to Mai.

"Mai," Mikoto stuttered between strained breaths, "Mai! Don't look!"

She forced her eyes shut, but was unable to escape the haunting visions of entrails coming out of the girl's torso. It wasn't long before she could hear voices in the distance either. Time had clearly passed since their fight, and the rustling in the bushes was likely going to be those coming to search for the fallen girls. The only thing that allowed Mikoto to stand was her survival instinct. Her fear was her only energy source; fear that Mai would see her this way. And it was the exact fear which inevitably sparked this massacre.

Black braids vanished into the night the moment a heavy set of combat boots stepped out into view. Despite being armed with a rifle and two swords, Muramasa only felt safe to approach the area now, once Mikoto had left. He certainly hadn't predicted her influence in the fight, but it served to speed things up at least. With a gruff sigh, he looked down at Haruka and Yukino who, even in death, were reaching out to each other. This would be his final duty to his clan in this lifetime.

Just as he lifted both corpses up onto his shoulders, the man turned toward the sound of hurried footsteps approaching. For a split second he feared the worst: another demon.

"Huh? It's just a boy…"

Takumi's weak lungs gasped for breath, unable to keep that pace of physical exertion for very long. His sapphire eyes blurred in and out of focus on the scene before him. Perhaps somewhere in the back of his mind, he noted the man's presence, but no one would have guessed it. His gaze immediately fell on Akira's torn torso, a sight which made it impossible to keep from getting sick.

Muramasa remained emotionless and still, scoffing at the kneeling boy wiping his mouth, "What are you doing here, kid?"

"A-Akira-kun…" he whimpered, shakily running his hand over her pale cheeks, _You… you said Mikoto didn't stand a chance against you…_

"Hey!" the gruff voice called again, only to roll his eyes at the lack of response.

Takumi paid no mind to Muramasa's leave, or anything else out of his field of vision. He knelt by Akira's side, doing all he could to keep from wailing in sadness as he gently pulled her head closer to rest on his lap. What was worse, he could hear the voices catching up to them. The faint sound of his sister calling his name meant this would have to be a rushed goodbye.

"I can do it Akira-kun…!" he whispered between tears, pulling the dagger out from his pocket, "I promised you I would!"

The blade shook in his weak grip, hovering over the girl's heart.

"Takumi!?" he heard in the distance.

"No matter what form you take, or where you hide… I love you!"

Against all his heart told him, Takumi thrust the weapon down into flesh. He couldn't care who heard him now, yowling through the tears and rumbling ground. It took all of his strength to keep the dagger from flying out of his hold, strength which waned at the sight of Akira's body beginning to crumble. Takumi grit his teeth against the flow of emotions pummelling his heart and took one last glance at the girl's face before it turned a monochrome brown.

Using the boy's body as a medium, Akira's soul was effectively sealed into the talisman – along with the Shichibi. Left with nothing more than the crafted blade in his hold, Takumi shut his bloodshot eyes and waited.

"Takumi!"

Mai finally climbed out of the bushes with Reito in tow. The girl bent over, hands on her knees to catch her breath while the boy rested a hand on her shoulder. Knowing what he did, the scene made an unfortunate amount of sense; but to Mai, it was only adding to her confusion. She took a quick glance around and, seeing no one else, immediately rushed to Takumi's side.

"Takumi, why are you crying?" she pulled him into an embrace which was eagerly returned.

"Akira-kun! Akira-kun is-!" he couldn't finish the sentence without breaking into hysterics.

Mai blinked, recalling the events she had just been through hours earlier. The sceptic in her was desperate to not think anything of it. But when she searched her true opinions, she was certain something in Natsuki had changed.

_No one is that strong… And she was definitely trying to do something to me… Then running away! It's too-_

"Takumi," as much as she hated herself for asking, she had to, "Did you see Natsuki here at all?"

The boy froze up, and Reito simply watched with saddened intrigue. However, when he saw the brunette shake his head, his eyes widened with anticipation.

"No… it was," he pulled the dagger close to his chest, "Mikoto …"

* * *

"Don't touch me with that thing!" Natsuki snarled, quickly rolling out of the way of Nao's slimy, clawed hand.

The redhead twitched with rage. Here she was fighting toe to toe with her rival-turned-enemy, yet she could not make contact. While she had succeeded in forcing Natsuki into an above average state of possession, it was all for naught if she couldn't even land a hit. And every time Nao attempted to attack at range, the poison air was blasted away by a violent wind.

On the other end of the fight, Natsuki was barely breaking a sweat; she was more frustrated than anything. Nao had always been persistent in her unusual quest, but she hadn't expected the girl's strange behaviour to lead to this particular moment. She snarled again, her near-black hair had turned white, lengthening down her back in the form of a bestial mane. Canine ears were pinned angrily at the side of her head and she had gained a significant degree of height over the Yonbi. Additionally, her arms and feet had thickened with demonic musculature; and those sharp claws were nothing to take lightly either.

Nao, however, remained more human. The poison dripped off her body, pooling in viscous puddles which ate away at the concrete. A putrid steam hissed, forcing Natsuki to wince painfully while covering her sensitive nose.

"If anything's going to take me out, it's going to be that stench of yours!" _But even then… she's gotten too close too often… for only using a tiny fraction of her abilities._

"Good!" Nao spat back with a sadistic grin, "We'll see how arrogant you are when you fall flat on your back from a little smell!"

Not that Natsuki would have any of that. She had tolerated the girl for the last time, and now chose to brave the venom with an offensive attack. Roaring, she ripped a line through the ground while lifting it to her will. The earth sprouted some jagged edges, but it was nothing Nao couldn't avoid by leaping to the side of a nearby building before diving upon her enemy.

That said, such a simple attack was easily countered by a breath of fire. Houkou was certainly the most versatile bijuu, adept at all forms of elemental manipulation, which made for an easy fight from a distance. Natsuki took a breath and leapt back, out of out the alleyway and into the open road. Luckily, it was just as deserted as Nao described. In the time it took for the night to take them under, a city-wide evacuation of Fuuka was underway.

"Come on," the canine-girl scoffed, "What are you wasting time for? I thought you wanted to kill me!"

Nao leapt out from the residual flames, still cloaked in her energy, and landed atop a parked car. More than anything, she was sad; which was something Natsuki had unexpectedly picked up on. But they had passed the point of no return. The moment Nao swore to finish this, there was no chance at some dreamy peaceful reconciliation.

"Oh, I will! But I'm going to beat you as a human. I want to know it when I see you choking to death on my poison! Just like all the others!"

"Heh, as a human? News flash: you're not human."

Natsuki's snarky comment was accompanied by an even more impressive transformation. While remaining fully aware of herself, her body had become covered in the snowy coat of the dog demon. Her face extended into a muzzle, and her growl showed off her new set of carnassial teeth. She would show Nao just how outmatched she was if she intended to fight as a human.

"Last chance," she warned with misty apparitions of her five tails swaying out from her back, "Either get out of my sight… or turn into whatever the hell demon you are!"

Lime green eyes turned into slits, complemented with an enraged howl. The poor girl was caught in a vicious cycle, thanks to her rival's words. The angrier she got, the more powerful she became. However, she truly despised that power more than anything. Truth be told, she had always feared this outcome; which is why she had always kept her identity hidden.

_But no… you always have to push me!_

Her emotions flayed at the shackles of self-control at the same time as a few feathers began to sprout from her neck against her will. Nao shut her eyes, briefly turning her maliciousness against herself and tore away at the abominations growing on her body. Natsuki stood still, observing the apparent breakdown. If this continued it seemed as though she wouldn't even have to move for the girl to finish herself off.

"Fuck… No… Fuck it all!" Nao had since doubled over, unable to keep up with the growing transformation.

"_I'm not about to lose this fight because you won't let me be a part of it."_

"Damn it, Sokou!"

Tears fell from her eyes, turning to steam before they touched the broken pavement. Against her will, the girl's limbs had become the four tails of the beast – snake tails to be precise. In practicality, it seemed as though this form was actually the least able to fight. Nao was fighting a battle against herself, between her demon's thirst for survival and her own pride. Her arms and legs wriggled about as she fell forward off the vehicle: flat on her face. Natsuki couldn't believe what she was seeing; and although it was a ridiculous image, deep in her heart she could not bring herself to laugh.

_She's… in so much pain…_

In the end, Nao managed to retain her flaming hair colour and human facial features. The rest of her torso had become covered in an off-white plumage – dirtied by the demon's own poison. The girl struggled to lift herself, succeeding in the end thanks to her opponent's wait.

_Pity eh? Fuck you… I don't need it! I can still see you lose to me with my own eyes!_

She raised her heard with a snarl of her own, hoisted up by the coiling tails.

"Never… I will never become Sokou!"

* * *

Only the crackling fireplace could be heard over the deafening silence in Reito's living room. Takumi had calmed from earlier, but was certainly broken. His delicate hand had a death grip on that dagger, and no one dared ask to see it. His only comfort was Mai's embrace; but even then he wanted nothing more than to describe it all down to the last gruesome detail. The boy's sister was about to press again, desperate to know just what had happened, but the second the older boy caught her glance he shook his head.

Mai stiffened and saddened, but remained quiet. She would have to restrain herself just a little while longer.

_Right… this isn't about me and my questions… this is about Takumi. _Her gaze fell onto the fire, hypnotized by its glow, _Mikoto… where are you…? What did you do?_

Reito continued to watch from a distance, recalling his earlier argument with his caramel-haired underclassman. He frowned at the thought of Tate finding Mikoto first, along with getting his hands in on this. Not that any of them could be prepared for this otherworldly scenario, but the boy feared that if too many people got involved it would simply become harder to control. At least that's how he justified it.

_Mikoto is my sister… Even knowing what's happened… I won't turn my back on her. I won't put her in the position to hurt Mai-san either._

His train of thought was cut short by the sudden ringing of his phone. Mai and Takumi both turned with a start as Reito pulled it from his pocket, confused by his apparent shock. Without a word, he ran upstairs and shut the door, desperate to keep the conversation silent.

"Shizuru! Where have you been! The academy is-"

"_Ara… I'm terribly sorry about that."_

"So… you do have something to do with this, don't you?" he heard an amused chuckle on the other end of the line.

"_Come now, Reito. I really do consider you to be my closest friend, do you think I'd ever leave the academy without a good reason?"_

"Tch," he clenched his fist around the phone, "Why are you even calling me?"

"_I wanted to thank you."_

"Huh? What for?"

"_Well, for making me who I am today. Ironic isn't it? I had my own reasons for razing The First District to the ground, but to think it was your grandfather's company. I was lucky."_

"You did what-?! Shizuru, why are you there? What have you done?"

"_Personal matters. Tell me," her voice hissed with demonic energy, "Where is your grandfather's sword?"_

Only remnants of his childhood memories flickered in Reito's mind. Additionally, his present situation weighed on him to the point of silence. Even if he could recall where, or specifically what, Shizuru was talking about, he was unsure if engaging her would be the right thing.

"_Choose your words carefully. As I said, I do still consider you a friend. But know this: The Kusanagi no Tsurugi _is_ mine, and I _will_ use it to slice through that fox's heart myself."_

"Fox?"

"_Kyuubi, of course. Reito, I intend to end this once and for all. Think about that while you search your memory. And remember that it does not change the fact that everyone in this company _has already been_ slaughtered. You could not save the people who played a part in my beloved Natsuki's horrific past; that much was not up for debate."_

_She waited for a response, but smirked at the silence._

"_Very well, choose your alliance accordingly. I gave you my thanks to give you the opportunity to think about it. Besides," she looked at the half-charred photo – of the Minagi family – in her hand, "Are you not personally invested in this battle as well?"_

Reito's eyes clenched shut. The call had already dropped, but he knew precisely where his former superior was. Getting there would not be difficult, but whether he really could or not was a whole other story. Shizuru was after someone. Someone she openly intended to kill.

_The fox… _He forced himself to carefully look over the stair railing. His teeth ground together, seeing the way Mai held so tightly to her brother who had just lost someone so precious to this war. He thought of his sister: the perpetrator; Natsuki: the runaway… _Everyone is involved… _He thought of his childhood, of his father and grandfather before he was sent away from Mikoto. A palm shakily gripped over his eyes. _Even me… I've been a part of this from the very beginning._

Reito's resolve was boiling in his heart; his attempt to make a rational decision left him with one inevitable truth. No matter where he looked, there was evil. His breaths quickened as he stood, hurrying down the wooden steps to the front door.

_At the very least… I can choose the lesser evil!_

"R-Reito-san?" Mai watched him with sheer confusion, "Where are you going?"

As if the boy's mood wasn't clearly abnormal enough, the fact that he was leaving them so suddenly was something else entirely. He didn't seem to know or care that he was leaving strangers alone in his apartment. In fact it was very obvious that the thought hadn't crossed his mind at all.

"I'm sorry, Mai-san," he threw his a light jacket over his shoulders and grabbed his car keys, "Stay here. There's someone else I have to help." He looked back at her bitter-sweetly, "Someone who can help Mikoto."

And before the girl could utter another word, the door was shut and locked. All that was left for her was to continue comforting her brother – her violet eyes reflecting the dancing fires.


	18. What is True

**XVIII – What is True**

_She's fucking insane!_

Natsuki's thoughts raced as she was pouring all her energy into simply dodging Nao's attacks. The transformation had done more than just enhance the girl's combat abilities, she was losing her mind. It was that fact which turned the tables in a fight that the older girl had been certain she would win. Her survival depended on not being touched by one of those tails, but staying at range was becoming increasingly difficult.

Nao's sinister grin hadn't faltered from the second she took that form. And although at first it was nearly impossible to maneuver, the movements clearly weren't hers anymore. Natsuki scowled as she could do little more than escape in random directions. Occasionally she had the time to throw some lightning into the fight, but she was no longer up against the annoying underclassman.

_You're kidding me…_

The white-furred girl groaned, along with rolling her eyes, and leapt between two nearby buildings. Her powerful legs and thick claws aided her series of jumps to reach the nearby rooftop. The distance gave both her and Nao a chance to rejuvenate. Staying offensive for so long was wearing on her as well; as Natsuki could see from above.

_I can't believe it's come to this, you damn brat._

Icy blue eyes stared down at the jinchuuriki writhing in internal agony while attempting to regain her strength for battle. Canine ears pinned themselves to her head, shielding as best they could against the painful shrieks. As Natsuki thought: for the time that she was losing this fight, Nao was losing her own as well. The battle within herself had never ceased, and the moment that there was no outside threat – immediately at least – Nao was wrestling for control of her own body. Once again she turned her attacks on herself, falling onto her back and trying to beat away the scales. Unlike moments ago, she had no balance in this form and probably wouldn't be able to stand until Natsuki appeared again and forced Sokou to take over.

_If I don't do something…_

The girl grit her fangs together, unable to tear her gaze away. She had the option to run now, she knew it, but the screams paralyzed her. There Natsuki stood, in full control of her possession, while Nao would fade in and out of her self-awareness. This was reality.

_This is… my reality…_

She recalled her revealed memories. Behind the illusion of a happy childhood as a scientist's daughter, Natsuki could feel the very same painful struggle deep in her heart. She couldn't say for sure if, even now, she and Houkou got along – it was a partnership of convenience. But the girl down in the street was unable to reach that point. And the pain she was currently being subjected to was the same that Natsuki experienced at The First Distract.

_Nao… Is this why you admired me? Did you see the memories that I couldn't?_

Azure eyes shut tightly and fists clenched at her sides. She couldn't take it anymore.

_Fuck it… fuck it all!_

Natsuki bolted down the building by running on all fours and digging her claws into the bricks. She would be at her fastest in this one strike. Her arm covered itself in a mixture of electricity and flame.

_I'm sorry that I have to keep living. I know that's what you hate about me._

Her tail of wind blew the poison vapours away for a split second.

_But I hope you see…_

Nao's eyes flickered to the side, fading in intensity for the instant the white flash appeared above her.

_That I understand you!_

The earth beneath them broke apart on impact and created a small earthquake that flipped some nearby cars on their sides. Wind and flame whirled out from the two girls, clearing the surrounding area of all debris. Finally, there was a crackle of lightning that ended it all. The blinding glow dispersed and revealed the conclusion to the story of these two rivals: Natsuki's arm, shredded and bloody… pierced through Nao's torso.

Houkou's snowy fur receded, allowing the navy locks to fall over the teary emerald eyes. No matter how angry she'd ever been at Nao for pestering her, this was too much to handle. The girl was cleanly impaled, killed instantly and painlessly. Instinctively, Natsuki pulled her into an embrace, shaking as she held the corpse in her arms.

"I'm sorry! I know you'd hate me even more for this! Why the fuck am I crying over you?" She clawed at the bloody clothing, "You really were just some dumb kid!"

Natsuki finally moved away and pulled her arm from Nao's chest, laying the girl on her back but refusing to leave her side. She looked down into the dulled green eyes, noting their form with as much a smile as she could muster, "Hey, brat… Look… You're human."

Hours passed into the depths of night, and still Natsuki would not move. She couldn't bring herself to abandon the girl, not now; not even when someone was approaching from behind. To be honest, Natsuki didn't care who or what saw this. The majority of civilians were gone, and it wasn't as though human police were a threat to her. But this was no ordinary meeting… yet not one she expected either.

"Is… Is that…?"

Emerald eyes blinked in surprise at the familiar voice, turning quickly to see a battered Tate stare down at them in horror. She could see his hands trembling against the stillness of his body, and curiously wondered why he was not running away let alone here in the first place.

"I knew it was… But seeing it… really makes it real…"

"You knew?" Natsuki tightened her grip on Nao's body.

"It's hard to say. I grew up loving stories like this… I thought it was cool. When I started getting suspicious… Damn, I was even _excited_," his brow furrowed, "But seeing this…"

"Yeah… it's real…"

For a while there was only silence, save for the crackling fires surrounding them. There was a reason Tate was there, after all. Against his better judgement, he remained in the cursed city and followed the sounds of a battle. He wanted answers, and had to hope whoever he found would give them to him. The scene may have conflicted with his relief at finding Natsuki before any others, but thinking about it, this girl may have been just the one to help him.

"Is Tokiha involved?" he could only be blunt, which was something Natsuki respected.

"I have suspicions," she reciprocated the tone, albeit with more sadness, "I can't say for sure though… All of this is so messed up!"

Tate sighed with regret, looking away to give Natsuki a minor sense of privacy as her emotions welled up again. As if this wasn't painful enough, he had just reminded her of the other factors. The girl looked down at Nao once more before gently shutting her eyes in eternal slumber. She reluctantly stood and faced the boy with serious intent.

"Do you want to forget you ever saw this? Just get out of the city and never come back?

"You can do that?"

The girl nodded, "I can put you under an illusion where none of this happened. You will believe it as truth. You will follow the quickest path to get out of Fuuka and forget about everyone here. Your teachers, your friends-"

"Don't!" Tate stepped back, surprising Natsuki as he shut his eyes and covered his ears.

"Why not? You'll be happier there."

"No I won't… I can't," he tried to hold back the tears, "I can't be happy without Mai!"

The girl blinked at his expression. It was clearly afraid, and sad, but underneath it all was devotion. It wasn't as though Tate knew the reason why, if there even was one, but he had to stay here. And that too, was something Natsuki could relate to.

_Even knowing Mai could be dangerous… he can't abandon her here, _She smiled sadly, recalling the past few days, "You love her, don't you? I can tell."

Tate nodded.

"Then you should be with her… If that's really your choice. If you really love her in spite of the danger," she spoke her thoughts aloud, "Then you have to go to her."

* * *

The rain which had been falling off and on that night picked up once again. It beat against the glass window lightly, breaking Mai out of her trace. Takumi had fallen asleep, laying his head on her lap. She still hadn't the slightest idea what happened; and everyone around her seemed determined to keep her in the dark for some reason. As much as it made her curious, it didn't frustrate her. The girl's good heart kept her thankful for their concern rather than suspicious of other happenings.

She was running her hand over his soft hair once more when there was a light knocking at the door. Mai quickly and gently lifted the boy's head, padding over to the other side of the room where she eagerly opened it. The girl stood still, not expecting this particular visitor. When her attention as first called to it, her thoughts immediately jumped to Reito and Mikoto. But still, her heart rested easy.

"Tate-kun…" she managed a smile, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry," he rubbed the back of his wet hair, "I just wanted to see you. I know you're here with Kanzaki but-"

"Reito-san left."

To Tate's surprise, Mai hadn't sounded the slightest bit sad when she said that. Her tone indicated confusion and worry more than anything, but she couldn't hold back a smile when brown irises met her gaze. The girl didn't hesitate to invite him inside, ushering him upstairs to let Takumi continue to sleep. Tate followed quietly, not even noticing that the door had been closed behind them and they were in a rather large bedroom.

"Sorry," Mai wasn't totally oblivious to the situation, "This is the quietest place in the house. I want Takumi to get some rest."

While the redhead took a seat on the bed, legs crossed and resting her back against the headboard, the boy just watched with hesitation. He had come here fueled by emotion, but now that he was face to face with the girl, he didn't have the slightest idea what to do or say. Tate eyed her carefully, undoubtedly scarred by what he had seen only an hour ago.

_There's nothing wrong with her… Even if everything did start when she came to town. That doesn't mean anything! Mai is outgoing – she doesn't hide anything… She's…_

"… Kind."

"Hm?" the girl tilted her head up curiously.

"You're kind… And…" he grit his teeth, wanting to remain quiet but the force of his words were too strong, "I don't think Kanzaki sees that!"

Violet eyes blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected it, but for some reason someone accusing Reito of such a thing didn't spark her into anger.

"I know I'm an idiot… He's the prince of the school, perfect in every way but I- The way I feel- I…"

"I feel the same way," Mai's emotions were getting the better of her; shaking her voice up a bit, "Reito-san is perfect. He helped me and Takumi so much from the moment we came to Fuuka. He helped us now, even lent his home to us. He came with me to search the academy for Mikoto… but-" she finally looked up, tears flowing freely from her eyes, "I don't love him!"

While Mai had covered up her mouth on reflex – ashamed to say the words aloud even – she felt a larger hand hold onto hers. Tate stood by her side, taking a place that Reito did not. He pulled the girl's hand away from her face, entwining their fingers as he was pulled closer by her gaze. For the first time in days, Mai's eyes did not reflect worry or sadness; only love. A smile graced her features as a second hand cupped her cheek.

_Tate-kun… has always been there for me…_

She reached up to his neck, holding tight to him as their lips pressed together. The kiss was unlike what she had experienced with Reito. It started out shy, but quickly intensified as their emotions took form. The sense of how right it felt didn't surprise her either; that was all part of it. Mai leaned back onto the mattress, pulling Tate along with her in complete comfort. The weight of his body on hers eased her sense of vulnerability. She was driven to get closer to him.

And with heavy breaths, a thigh slid up and rested on the boy's hip.

* * *

Dawn finally broke over the mountain tops surrounding Fuuka. Sunlight glistening over the surface of the water added to the air of peace at the back of this old shrine. The Sengo clan's stronghold was nothing more than a simple home on the plateau, appropriately situated beside a decent sized body of water. The remaining members were silent as they shuffled around the home in their traditional-wear.

"Muramasa-dono," a younger cousin approached the man who was sitting by an open window, "Grandfather requests your presence in the main hall."

"Ugh… why? I'll be there for the send-off, but that's it."

"That is… Uh, well-"

Before the boy could continue, the paper door slid open with such force it nearly tore. The man got to his feet, coming face to face with two others roughly his size. Muramasa frowned, immediately recognizing their features, and sighed.

"You said you were going to protect her!"

"I believe you gave up your say in your daughter's life sixteen years ago, Kikukawa," he turned to the other man, "You as well, Suzushiro."

In contrast to their children's personalities, it was the light-haired man who remained a step behind the other. Not mousy by any means, but would not be so quick to allow his anger to burst out. It was the brunette who aggressively reached out to Muramasa's robe and wasted no time in throwing a punch directly to his jaw.

"She's still my daughter!"

The second father stepped in.

"I gave Haruka to you because my wife told me she would be best off with your clan. It was her dying wish for her daughter to grow up in one piece… And now…" he forced back his tears.

Muramasa was tough enough to take the hit and simply stepped back to give Yukino's father some room to breathe rather than strike again. He readjusted his clothing and remained calm in his reply; legally in the right for whatever actions had been taken with the girls. Not to mention, the specific circumstances they were involved in allowed him to retain confidence in having done the right thing.

"See it how you will, but your daughters were born to serve a purpose. Their death has done the world a great service."

"How dare you-!"

"Do not shout in the shrine, much less as the ceremony is beginning. I will allow you both to stay, provided you remain calm as they are laid to rest in my clan's sacred waters."

The brunette man clenched his fist, but was eased by a hand resting on his shoulder. These two may have never met before, but they shared a sense of companionship that transcended the lives of their wives and daughters. No amount of violence would change the fact that they had both lost their children; and admittedly, they both realized in this moment just how much they regretted spending so little time with them.

They followed Muramasa silently down the hall and out to the back of the shrine. Anger was replaced by sadness as they stood in the same file as the other Sengo clan members, watching intently as the girls' stepfather stepped out ahead of the others. He alone approached the large iron container, which held the Sanbi pair inside. It was the strength of his spirit which pushed against it, guiding it into the lake amongst the sounds of soft chanting and chimes.

In the end, although neither Haruka's nor Yukino's fathers could see them one last time, the scene brought them peace. They had never known their children, unfortunately, but somehow they could feel it in the air as the water swallowed and sealed the coffin: neither was alone, even in death.

* * *

"My god…"

Reito stood at the edge of what little remained of The First District headquarters. His jaw quivered and eyes widely scanned the flattened building. Even in midday the scene was haunting, and what would have been a nice gentle breeze stirred all the dust and debris up into his lungs. The boy shielded his face and coughed, furrowing his brow as he called out again.

"Shizuru!" he heaved and climbed up onto a large chunk of concrete to get a better look, "Where are you!"

_Such carnage…_

His gaze fell sadly on the crushed bodies; and those were the lucky ones. The girl was nowhere to be found but her wrath was clearly felt. Blood had pooled into puddles doused with broken glass; limbs and dismembered heads were scattered apart from their bodies. There had been no mercy here.

"Damn it," he cursed and looked to the sky: the only safe space to rest his eyes, "I need you to help Mikoto. I need you to end this war."

He gripped over his eyes to ease his pounding his headache.

_Think. _The boy's tired body fell beneath him as he sat on the slab. For the life of him, Reito couldn't figure out what Shizuru had meant when she called him. _My grandfather's sword? The Kusanagi no Tsurugi… Damn it, I was sent away! It's not like I was privy to this information. And anyone who could tell me…_

He looked around the debris again. There was not a single person left alive; and something told him that even if he took the time to check everyone individually Shizuru was thorough enough to assure it. Although it was in that moment that something caught his eye in the distance. He covered his brow with his hand to focus on the peculiar pile of wreckage. It looked like something had been dug up. Reito quickly got to his feet and rushed over, finding an earthen gap that extended fairly deeply into the ground. Not even considering the risk he'd be taking, Reito knelt down and reached as far in as he could while holding onto a nearby rock.

_I feel something! _He reached a bit further, feeling the touch of cold metal against his fingertips. _Just… a little closer!_

The stone was nearly about to come loose and crush him, but Reito managed to get hold of a handle and lift himself out of the hole in time. He carried with him a long case, or rather, what appeared to be a long, thin treasure chest. For a brief moment he sighed with relief, actually believing he had got a step ahead of the demon. However, when he flicked open the latches, the weapon he had hoped to see was a long scroll instead.

"What is…" he unrolled it and tried to make sense of the pictures and ancient wording. _This is… the legend of Yamata no Orochi…_

Reito was too intuitive for his own good, putting the pieces together faster than his relatives would have been pleased with. He fell to his knees and shook his head in disbelief. He never understood why he had been sent away from Mikoto for his whole life, only to have her turn up at the same school as him. It was suspicious at the time, but in truth he didn't care why she was there, only that he finally got to see her again. He believed it to make sense when she revealed her true identity to him, _Wasn't it enough that she was a demon too?_

He clenched his fists around the edges of the scroll; which happened to depict a story so similar to his own life.

"My story was supposed to end with Mikoto… But that's not my role is it, Grandfather?" he glanced down again, focused on the picture of two children, "I became Vice President for a reason, didn't I?"

The image depicted one child with the head of a snake being stabbed by another; and it was followed by the snake-child absorbing the sword and wreaking havoc.

"Mikoto was never a part of my destiny… The demon I'm meant to watch over isn't Nekomata," he grit his teeth, "It's Orochi… and Shizuru."

_And it's because she _already has_ the sword…_

* * *

It was nearly impossible to tell it was day if you were on the coast of Fuuka. The few who had chosen to remain, despite the city falling apart, had flocked to the nearby harbour. The sky was dark with thick, whirling clouds. It was clear that another storm was coming, but everything seemed so concentrated on one particular area. A man lifted his hand above his eyes like a visor and peered out to the round corporate office. Honestly, no one really knew what went on in there. It was a foreign building with a foreign name – but they hadn't caused problems and appeared to have their own employees, so what was the harm?

Thunder boomed in the sky, loud enough to shake the ground and frighten the observers. However, in all this, the sea had kept still. In any normal storm, there would be wind and rain mixing with the seaside. But this was no average weather. In fact, _this_ was the calm.

A loud crash echoed across the shoreline, and the distant building burst with lightning. Smoke and flame followed in its wake, clouding the area from anyone who dared stare longer. Civilians scrambled to their feet and ran like frightened mice through the broken streets of their city. The last thing they heard was a violent shriek from far away.

Lightning continued to thrash around the epicentre of the blast, and through the ash and shattered walls of the Searrs prison stepped two teenagers. Battered and bruised, Akane stood at the edge of the shore completely cloaked in her element. Her eyes glowed white as the purest light and her body remained as strong as the current flowing through her. Kazuya followed behind her, his own gaze focused on the city opposite the bay. In his hand he carried a divine bow made from Raijuu's electricity. The second pair of this war had been primed for battle.

"Kazu-kun," the girl's shifted voice no longer fazed him, "We did it."

"Yeah," his gaze never faded.

Lightning burst from her clenched fists.

"I can finally say it."

Kazuya nodded with obedience.

"I will kill the Gobi Jinchuuriki: Kuga Natsuki."

* * *

**A**/**N**: I am pleased to announce that the original version of Tatakainuku will be for sale soon! This version contains all new characters and some extra scenes that were not written into this version! I will keep you all updated as I post this story :D.


	19. Hunting Dogs

**XIX – Hunting Dogs**

_**Five Years Ago**_

The young girl strode peacefully through the graveyard. The grey was gentle neutrality in contrast to her hectic life. There were indeed times she would enjoy quiet, despite her notorious energy. Mikoto continued to walk through the aisles slowly with her hands out by her sides, as if they were floating in the air. The calm autumn breeze lifted the ends of her scarf to sway behind her, reminiscent of two black tails.

A few seconds later, the girl's morbid peace was interrupted. Her golden eyes opened to see a familiar classmate of hers knelt over a grave. Mikoto stood still and listened to the flame-haired girl weep as she placed a bouquet of withered flowers in front of the stone.

"I'm so sorry!" Nao cried, "I will avenge you! I _am_ avenging you! Sokou is caged in _me_; not the other way around! I will humiliate him for my entire life for what he did to you!"

Mikoto's eyes widened, blinking in shock at the revelation. This girl was like her... In many new ways. After waiting silently for Nao to stand back up, she took a step forward; crackling a dead leaf beneath her foot and alerting the other girl of her presence.

"Nao..." she whispered sadly with open arms.

The redhead's lime eyes snapped in her direction.

"Go away!" she barked, "I don't need your pity! Not yours, not anyone's!"

Mikoto was relentless in her approach, empathizing with her true weakness.

"You are Sokou's...?" she asked tentatively, earning a short gasp and a frown in response.

"So what?! It's not like you really know who he is! That jealous bastard!" She realized Mikoto's embrace was now a mere foot from her, "Don't! Don't be kind to me! And don't piss me off! Just leave me alone so that I can't feel anything anymore! I don't want to-"

She was stopped by warm arms wrapping around her and holding her close.

"Don't be afraid, Nao..." Mikoto whispered, "The slow death that Sokou brings... it can only heal the _god_ of death. I cannot be harmed. You don't have to worry with me."

Nao's eyes shivered briefly before she broke out into all-out tears. The jinchuuriki of the Yonbi crumbled to her knees, while the all-too-kind stranger leaned over to accommodate it.

"I can't take it! I want to connect with someone... but every time that happens everything about that person dies! I was always told my mother's death was some disease, but that's a lie! Same with her! He killed my mother and my best friend! He killed my foster families! I can't..."

She looked up into golden orbs, in fierce seriousness.

"... I want to die with them..."

"Please... don't," Mikoto replied, "If you did that, you would only be forcing the curse onto an innocent individual. But our purpose… It's to keep these monsters away from the world by sacrificing ourselves."

"... Who... are you?"

Mikoto smiled softly, though with an underlying sadness, "Nekomata's host... I am like you, Nao, my bijuu has killed my loved ones as well. But you cannot blame yourself for being too weak to restrain them. Our bodies are already under an enormous pressure and our minds... we can never really tell when we are us or them, right?"

Nao nodded.

"But please... do not say such things like you wish to die. Even if you don't know it, you would be greatly missed."

"But you should know! We shouldn't have to do this!"

"And neither should the next host... That's why we have to live; to make sure no one else can feel this pain. While another being lives inside us, we have to remember that we are ourselves. So what do you want to do Nao? Let envy consume you and ruin someone else's life, or prove your strength and withstand Sokou?"

The redhead remained still at the words she received. Why was this person – this child – being so kind to her? Was it pity, or... no... She was simply a generous individual. Nao's tears ceased for the time being, as she continued to latch onto Mikoto's coat. All was quiet between them before the latter spoke softly.

"She's happy..." Mikoto said, "Your mother... she said she's happy."

Nao only gripped tighter, "You can hear the dead?"

Mikoto nodded. By then, somewhere inside she had already sworn to never let her be hurt like that again.

_**Present Day**_

The bustling sounds of the emergency room rang in a young boy's ears as he wandered around the hospital in a daze. He hadn't remembered how he got there, and a quick glance at the calendar told him that it had been quite some time since then. He was being drawn to something; _someone_. Bare feet stepped across cold tile and his still-shaky hand gripped the I.V. stand he was latched to.

_Where did you go? _The boy made a turn down an adjacent hallway, only to be called from his daze by a girl's voice.

"Ishiro…"

His heart fluttered briefly, but sank when the girl behind him was not who he had imagined. Ishiro couldn't remember if he had met this girl before, but she certainly knew him. Clad in their middle school uniform, his memory was once again triggered of the one he was searching for.

"You're awake…" Mikoto's voice shook as she reached out in disbelief, "The poison... It's gone."

"Poison? Is that what happened to me?"

Despite the supposed good news that he was healed, the girl broke down in tears. He stared in confusion as Mikoto darted down the hall with an inhuman burst of speed, but followed as fast as his recovering body would take him. For some reason, even though he was following the girl, the direction felt right. She had been walking the same path as him for longer than he knew, and they were to reach the same destination.

The doors to the morgue were scratched apart, broken open in a fit of desperate sadness. Ishiro continued inside and looked around, still unaware of just exactly why he felt the need to come this way. Clangs of metal pressured his headache, but they soon settled and changed to sobbing. The boy peered around the corner of an aisle to see the same girl from before kneeling beside a corpse claimed by the hospital earlier.

"Nao!" she cried, enticing his steps closer to quicken, "I'm so sorry! I wasn't there to protect you!" _Because I was fighting those three… Nao…_

Mikoto pulled the stiff body into an embrace, weeping over the hole in her chest. She looked up at Ishiro, ashamed and afraid as he stood over them with pure shock in his eyes. He wouldn't move, unable to tear himself away from what he would have to accept as truth. Being in a coma so long had played on his memory, but in this moment he knew it: this was the girl he had been searching for.

"Why… why is she here?" he muttered, kneeling down on Nao's other side, "How did this happen?"

Mikoto's bloodshot eyes met with his, searching for any intention in him to doubt. But what was there left to lose now? Reluctantly, she laid the body back down but continued stroking the vibrant red hair. This boy had been drawn into this the moment he insisted on being close to her – even paid the price for it. He deserved an answer.

"She was murdered," she retracted the words, "Killed, I mean. Someone did this, but I don't know if it was planned."

"What? Why would anyone want to kill her?"

Mikoto's fist clenched, "To survive… It's kill or be killed for us. Whoever did this… they didn't do it for fun."

She had to convince herself of that.

"Just what are you people?" Ishiro stared at her sadly, but not afraid.

_This whole time, you've never been afraid of her. That must have been what she liked so much about you. _She held tight to Nao's hand, comforting what was left of her lingering spirit. There was no easy way to say it, but Mikoto went through the whole story with Ishiro. He took it all in, believing every fantastical detail of their lives.

"If you had known before," amber eyes looked to him seriously, "Would you have avoided her?"

The boy froze, blinking thoughtfully before looking back down at the frozen pale face. With a mirthless smile, he shook his head and sighed.

"It may not be the smartest decision, but no… I enjoyed my time with her so much. I just wish she could have told me herself."

Mikoto looked at him with confusion and hope. Hope that what he said was actually true; but the way he never took his eyes off her proved it. It broke her heart, yet filled her with such happiness that in the end, Nao had gotten what she wished for the most.

"Do you know what it was?" the girl sniffed away her tears.

"What what was?"

"What was most important to her," she caressed Nao's cheek, "Was that someone could still care about her despite not understanding."

Ishiro's mouth gaped slightly as he glanced up at Mikoto's teary eyes.

"I understood her too well… It was too easy for me to love her."

Ishiro blinked and gasped quietly.

"But you…" she finally broke out a smile, although she couldn't finish the sentence.

Mikoto felt a hand hold tight to her shoulder in what grew to become a successful attempt at comforting her. Her guilt receded for a moment when a more pressing thought was presented to her.

"What do we do now?" the boy leaned back on his heels and sighed.

"Traditionally, Sokou is buried within Mount Fuji… If we bring her there, the demon will be sealed."

"It's quite a trip, but we can do it."

"But we won't," Mikoto stated bluntly, clenched her fists over her knees, "We should… but I can't," she shook, "Nao has been tortured by Sokou her whole life. Even if it means he will be able to find a new host sooner… I can't trap her with him for centuries."

Ishiro nodded in agreement, running a hand through fiery hair, "If she can be free now… How could I never change that?"

* * *

Mid-afternoon sun shone through the curtains of Reito's bedroom. While there was a slightly-too-cool breeze coming through the window, it didn't matter to the pair huddled close together under the blankets. For nearly an hour now, Mai and Tate laid in each other's arms, continuously warming their bodies with sensually deep breaths on their skin. The boy was the first to move, reaching down to the girl's face and tracing a few fingers along her jawline. What started out as an act of passion had turned into so much more in the course of one night.

"I can't believe I'm waking up next to you."

Mai remained silent as she was pulled closer. She couldn't believe it either, and was honestly happy, but something was stopping her from showing it. A glance up into the hazel eyes brought a meek smile to her face, but the uneasiness remained.

"What's wrong?" Tate tilted his head with a hint of worry in his voice.

Mai shook her head, clinging tighter to his broad shoulders, "Nothing… Nothing is wrong, Tate-kun- No… _Yuuichi_," it was the first time she had called him by his first name.

"Then-"

"Why doesn't this feel wrong?"

The boy blinked, slightly out of fear, when Mai sat up in bed, dragging a sheet with her to cover up. She pulled her knees to her chest and allowed Tate's hand to rub her trembling bare back. It was soft and comforting, even amidst this inner turmoil, but it also could not stop it. While the girl had yet to shed a single tear, her eyes revealed her sadness.

… _I feel like a monster._

"Takumi needed me last night. Reito-san could have returned at any moment… Not to mention he hasn't returned yet! What if he's hurt? Mikoto is still out there, alone… How can I let myself be this happy?"

She curled further into herself but was followed by the returning warmth of Tate's body. Violet eyes blinked open when she was pulled back into an embrace. Mai instinctively reached up to grip the arm wrapping around her shoulders, bracing herself for the words that came from him.

"Because love is never wrong." The girl arched to face Tate as he continued, "I've been really stupid for a really long time. I love you, and I know you love me too. And it's especially when everything else seems like it's falling apart that you need love. And you need to do what makes you happy."

The sincerity in his voice soothed her quivers, finally bringing her breaths back to normal. Not only was he right in this, but Mai had realized it on her own at some point as well. Perhaps it was what allowed her to act on her feelings last night in the first place.

_What makes me happy… my own desires… _She felt a heat resonate from her core, spreading a truly genuine smile across her features, _They're right here._

* * *

Natsuki had been left to wander the abandoned streets of Fuuka since the night she had taken Nao's life. Wracked by guilt, she barely had the energy to walk, but continued moving forward. Toward what, she didn't know. But she had to keep moving. Something inside her made her push on and continue living. The girl's gaze was just as dreary as the sky above; she could not tear it away from her bloodied hands.

_It'll never go away… _Her brow quivered, _The blood… the screaming… her tears…_

Natsuki's step faltered, falling onto the side of a nearby building. Despite having the weight of Nao's life on her shoulders, the worst of her physical state was sleep deprivation. The girl hadn't a scratch remaining from her fight to the death, but the mental scarring was enough to keep her awake and dazed. So much so, that she hadn't even been relying on her senses – perhaps even to a human level. The tired jinchuuriki stayed slumped against the wall, sliding down to a sitting position as her eyes fell shut.

Only when she had a moment's rest did her nose pick up a scent from above. Natsuki tensed, but kept her eyes closed to focus on the exact location. The only things above her were rooftops; and given what she had realized during her fight with Nao, it was safe to say this was no innocent bystander.

The whistle of wind past her ear was all Natsuki heard before the wall behind her burst from a small explosion. The girl jumped to the side to avoid the blast, but was certain that the miss was intentional. Emerald eyes scanned the surrounding area, but even after running into the open road, she could not see anyone. However, it did provide her with the chance to test this person. Another projectile came at her, and this time she was able to see it clearly.

_Lightning? _The girl grit her teeth and jumped back, easily evading the attack but still unable to find the one who fired it before another one was shot even closer to her.

"Damn!" Natsuki cursed, this time continuing to run after the arrow nearly pierced through her, _An arrow?_

Her brow furrowed as she ran, continually attempting to look back and see who was after her. She had never known a jinchuuriki to fight with any kind of human weaponry. There was no need for it. And while fast and accurate, fighting from a distance seemed the most off about this situation. Natsuki looked over her shoulder the second another arrow whipped past her head and into the pavement to her left. With a gasp and swift change up of her footing, the girl made a sharp turn to the right and down an adjacent street. Sadly, her hope of throwing off her attacker was denied within a few seconds of catching her breath.

Again, an arrow of pure electrical energy shot at her feet, forcing her to run further and further out of the city. And unfortunately, Natsuki only realized this fact a moment too late. She had been running without any shots for a while now, longer than this person had ever let up before. While trying to just be thankful that they seemed to have left her alone, she knew there was nothing that easy. Not in her world at least.

"Where am I?" she muttered aloud, looking up the overgrown steps of a shrine.

She smelled the air and looked to the sky again. This was certainly a brewing storm. And for whatever reason, she had been herded right to the centre of it. Natsuki clenched her fist and turned back around, taking a deep breath as she attempted to leave the area; only to have another arrow shot at her feet. The girl stepped back and tried to go around the steaming crater – giving them one more chance to let her go. They wouldn't have it.

"Fine…" she looked back at the shrine with a scowl, "But you picked the wrong dog to fight with today."

The piercing shriek she got in reply didn't faze her; only hardened her heart. Natsuki sighed and began walking up the steps, growing more and more infuriated with her current situation. She had already taken one life, why was this person so eager to make her kill again? Her growing possession was almost against her will, _almost_. Winds whirled around the Gobi jinchuuriki as she finally reached the plateau, facing a surprising opponent.

"Higurashi? Now you… I wouldn't have expected."

"Why?" Akane's voice was practically mangled by the higher pitch of the weasel demon.

"I guess… because you didn't seem broken. The rest of us… we all had something. But you were happy."

"I'm not broken?!" she shrieked, lightning pouring from her eyes in lieu of tears, "Look at me!"

Natsuki stood her ground, bracing herself for an attack of some kind.

"Raijuu didn't hurt me once… but this war… _you all_ broke me!"

With a painfully abrasive roar, Akane called down a massive amount of lightning to her body. She wasted no time in bathing herself in the element to a degree which Natsuki hadn't even thought possible. Jade eyes turned to icy blue but remained shielded from the broken stones being tossed her way. Both girls were heaving their breaths already, but this fight was hardly over. In the moment that Akane was preparing for her offensive, Natsuki finally saw who it was sitting atop the nearest tree.

_Karauchi Kazuya… So you're her accomplice._

The lightning arrow pointed directly at her – ready to fire – was all the confirmation she needed to know she was outnumbered.

"But he's still just a human," Natsuki refocused on the girl in front of her, "And you're not the only one who can control electricity!"

Letting out a cry of her own, five tails sprouted from the base of the girl's spine and swayed confidently. She dropped to all fours, snarling and allowing her teeth, claws, and hair to grow wildly. Natsuki grinned as Akane did the same, baring her fangs and hungry tongue.

"You're pretty strong…" her voice echoed deeply, "That lightning looks delicious!"

And the battle of wild beasts had begun. The two jinchuuriki leapt at each other with both speed and force, immediately ending up in a series of locks. The girls may have been gripping each other by the arms, but both of their bijuu had taken on a golden ethereal form around them and snapped their jaws into each other's' sides.

They remained barely equal in the wrestle for dominance, but it was actually Natsuki who gained the first semblance of the upper hand. Even with Akane on top of her, their demons fighting loudly over them, Houkou's versatility with the elements gave him the ability to meet the lightning head on, but swat the girl away with a tail of fire. Her human body was unharmed, even by these flames, but the force and surprise was enough to knock her back and put a gap between them. It was just enough distance for the white-haired jinchuuriki to charge with a series of fiery swipes. However, not a single one connected.

Natsuki growled in frustration and tried once more to tackle the brunette to the ground, but it only resulted in her diving head first into the stone pathway. Azure met with pure white for a split second when she looked over her shoulder at Akane coming from above. There wasn't even enough time to move out of the way, only shield herself with a tail of earth. But even that broke apart; the only saving grace was that it had dispersed the otherwise concentrated element.

The Gobi scrambled to her feet and was beginning to see just how formidable this girl was. She may not have been trembling, but her heart felt genuine fear in that moment. This would not be someone like Nao, who had no idea how to even move when transformed. Akane's movements were precise and honed, and her fury honoured the demon of thunder.

"I am the fastest jinchuuriki!"

Natsuki shifted back, quickly blinking only to end up wide eyed at the empty space in front of her. Her glance fell on the boy in the distance. His confidence only spurred her anxiety, but she hadn't a second longer to worry.

For the first time in this war, Natsuki had been struck. And hard. She was moving as fast as she could to possibly throw Akane off mark, and while she succeeded in protecting her vital points, her forearm had been slashed deeply. The girl howled in pain and clutched the wound which forced her into another stage of transformation. Blood stained her silvery-white fur coat, but the wound had healed.

_Be faster!_

No matter how loud she shouted at herself, there was no way Natsuki could ever beat this girl in a test of speed. Her crystal eyes widened fearfully. To make any dent in her opponent, she would have to be faster – which was impossible. To escape meant not only being caught, but likely shot by the boy guarding their battlefield.

_I can only defend!_

Her carnassials ground together as she raised her arms up in a blocking formation. With all her strength, Natsuki summoned every bit of earth around her to form a multi-layered shell around her body. Her world fell completely dark, closing any potential gap over and over only to feel herself being shaken back and forth by repetitive strikes. Akane's speed allowed for a never ending onslaught of surprisingly powerful strikes.

_Damn it!_

She could feel her defence break apart – and at a faster rate than she could keep repairing it. Not only had she been pushed to a standstill, but Natsuki was becoming alarmingly aware of how even that was failing. Her feet crushed into the ground on each impact now, nearly being flattened by the overhead pound she had just received. Claws cut through the flesh of her palms the tighter she made her fists, dripping blood onto her face. It was in that moment that, above all else, Natsuki felt her heart ache.

_Her resolve… is greater than mine… _The five-tailed host was at a loss, both physically and within herself. Being beaten down like this was becoming tiring. She knew she could only hold on for a few more seconds, _She's just too strong._

A now-jade eye peeked through a break in the earthen shell. Even in the dark of the storm, the vision above her shone like the brightest of light. Akane was diving down onto her just slow enough for her to catch a glimpse of their battle's last moment. A moment which consisted of an immense crash, the purest black… and a girl's heartbeat.

Natsuki's defence had already fallen around her, leaving her to drop to her knees in shock of the sight before her. This black may well have been the omen of death… but they shone as the incredible scales of the gargantuan serpent demon. Its massive body crushed the trees into the ground beneath it as it continued to slither – albeit much more slowly now – between the two girls. However, one thing was clear: Akane had been trapped within its coils.

"Shizuru…!"

* * *

**A/N: Reminder that the release for the original version of this story - which contains even more scenes! - will be sometime in August or September of this year! Go to my website/follow me on twitter for updates if you're interested! 10% of any of my books' profits will be donated to my community's LGBTQ+ library & resource centre so please consider buying it when it comes out!**


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